18 month old boy left in hot car

Car windows smashed to rescue toddler

Two people have smashed the windows of a car parked in Sydney's northwest to help an overheated toddler left alone while his mother went shopping.

The incident has prompted police to warn parents of the dangers of leaving children alone in hot cars, saying the temperature inside can be up to 40 degrees Celsius hotter than outside.

A member of the public noticed the 18-month-old boy in the car, with the windows wound up, at a shopping centre at McGraths Hill on Tuesday.

He had the car's registration details broadcast through the complex.

When no one came forward, two members of the public went to the vehicle, where the child was screaming, and smashed the windows.

The boy was given water to cool down and police and paramedics attended the scene before his 34-year-old mother was found.

The toddler was taken to hospital as a precaution and police are continuing to investigate the incident.




i saw this little boy on tv screaming and crying for his mum and it made me think of maddie she would have been just as distressed as this little boy in the hotel room alone with the twins:(

at least in this case 2 members of the public acted before a tragedy could happen and on tv it showed the mum getting lectured

Woman charged over toddler in car
AAP December 23, 2009, 11:00 am

A woman's been charged after her toddler was found in an overheated car.

Police believe the 18-month-old was left in the vehicle while the woman went shopping.

She's been charged with leaving a child unsupervised in a motor vehicle.



The incident has prompted police to warn parents of the dangers of leaving children alone in hot cars, saying the temperature inside can be up to 40 degrees Celsius hotter than outside.

The boy was given water after the car's windows were smashed.

The toddler was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Must keep an eye open re this case to see just what the mother will be charged with. The child could have died and hand't long to go before doing so by the looks of it. Big 4x4 too. It does seem that the Mcs have friends in high places for them not to be charged with leaving not one but three children under 4yrs mind you, unattended in a unit metres away from the restaurant.

Those situations are dramatic. It makes me remind of a man, who left his own son with just some months forgotten inside the car, while he went to work. He forgot to leave him at the kindergartten. The baby was found dead inside.

this mother got fined 22 000 dollars im glad finally this proves what the mccans did was NOT with in the bounds of responsible parenting!!
Dec 23, 2009

A Sydney woman charged with leaving her toddler in a sweltering hot car simply forgot about him in the "Christmas havoc", a friend says.

The 18-month-old boy was sweating and screaming when a member of the public noticed him locked in a four-wheel drive at McGraths Hill, in Sydney's northwest, about 11am (AEDT) on Tuesday.

He smashed a window of the vehicle to rescue the distressed toddler after attempts to alert the mother via the public address system in a nearby electrical goods shop failed.

The temperature inside the vehicle had soared to an estimated 60 degrees Celsius during the 20 minutes the boy was locked inside.

Police on Wednesday charged the toddler's 34-year-old mother, who has four other children, with leaving a child unsupervised in a motor vehicle.

She is due in Windsor Local Court on January 27.

A woman known as Irene, who said she was a friend of the mother, said what happened was a complete accident.

"For some reason in the Christmas havoc, she totally forgot he was in the car," Irene told Macquarie Radio.

"She's so upset and distressed about what has happened.

"This poor little baby is everything to her, and she would never deliberately do it."

Irene said the mother had just dropped off her other children and forgot the boy was still in the back of the car.

"It was a terrible accident that she's never going to forget but she is the best mother I know," she said.

The boy's mother has been contacted by welfare caseworkers investigating the matter.

"I understand that this incident is out of character for the mother and she is very remorseful," Community Services Minister Linda Burney said in a statement.

"She knows that she's made a very stupid mistake."

Ms Burney said leaving a child locked in a car in any circumstances was against the law and parents could face fines of up to $22,000 under the Children and Young Persons Act.

Real estate agent Peter Cassidy, himself a grandfather, used a hammer to smash the Toyota's window on Tuesday.

He rescued the boy with help from nearby shop manager Colin Grinyer.

"When I first looked in there the kid, the baby, was very distressed, very distressed. There was perspiration pouring off him and he was very red in the face," Mr Cassidy told Macquarie Radio.

Mr Grinyer added: "As soon as I picked him up out of the seat and put my arms around behind the baby's head that was just soaking wet ... the seat as well".

The boy was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.

Dogwood wrote:This is brilliant news.

it sure is here in australia childrens welfare is taken seriously imagine how distressing it was for that baby its summer here in australia and like 40C in sydney he could have died and forgetting that he was in the car is no excuse the cops were wild with her and im glad child protection is investigating