Chaveirim Warns Of Dangers Of Leaving Children In Car Following Incident

Following a recent incident, Chaveirim is once again reminding parents the dangers of leaving a child alone in a car, especially a hot one. A Chaveirim member says he was in a parking lot when a woman purposely left her child in the back seat of her vehicle as she ran in to a nearby store for a ‘quick errand’.

The member says he got out of his vehicle and strongly warned the mother of the foolishness and dangers of her actions, and the legal consequences she could face as well.

Parents are urged to use extreme caution when doing errands with children in the vehicle, especially during the Summer days when temperatures in a locked car can reach fatal temperatures within minutes. TLS.

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62 COMMENTS

  1. “Strongly warned the mother…” ? why strongly ? I’m sure Mom had s/thing v/ important to do in that store. It must’ve been. Why else would she leave the kid in the car ? Unless she’s nebech not 100% – in which case the warning won’t help, strongly or otherwise.

  2. I just want everyone to know that if I ever see someone leave their child in the car and run inside, I don’t care for how long, I will immediately call the police.

    I will not give you any warning.

  3. Mind your own business. At the most- wait a few minutes out of concern and then get mother. Dont mix in.

    U’Shmartem Meod Es Nafshosaichem – in this case a Sofik.

    Onas D’Vorim – In this case Vadai.

    Rabbosai – its the same Torah.

  4. People follow their personal experiences and degree of knowledge in regard to any given situation.

    If this was about a child’s life being endangered by molestation-man there would be 200 comments already.

    This is only endangered by a mom in a rush- nu nu… I’m only comment number 8!

    People react to their own interests!

  5. what is so difficult to comprehend. For your children’s safety Please don’t even consider leaving your little one(s) in the car. For those that see it – report it. Better to miff someone than to hear that yet another possible tragedy could have been avoided.

  6. Leaving the car running is not a solution. What if someone chas v’sholum carjacks the car with the kid inside? Leaving a kid in a car alone that can not take care of him/herself is abuse and dangerous.

  7. To #15 a.k.a. “anonymous”:

    You are a dweeb.

    “Privacy”??? This is a crime! If you would see someone breaking into a house would you cry “PRIVACY!! BUTT OUT!!” Are you so naive not to know that it takes a very short time for car to heat up and for a child to develop heat stroke and/or blisters or G-D Forbid death!?@

    Get your facts straight between privacy and a crime!

    You [moderated] [moderated] [moderated]

  8. to # 12 and 15 “to mind our own business” and “a lack of privacy” . First off it is our business its every caring individuals business would say the same thing if the child was walking in middle of rt 9??????. you don’t leave your diamond rings in the car DON’T LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN !!!!!

  9. I have a few kids who I love the same way everyone else loves their kids. I really don’t see the big deal in leaving your kids in the car for 2 minutes if you lock the car and open the windows a few inches. Obviously I’m talking about a smaller store that you can pretty much look out the window and see your car. Let me know your thoughts.

  10. Lakewood’s biggest problem is lack of smarts when it comes to being a parent. You can paint it any way you want but it’s still the truth at the end of the day. Some people just dont get it and never will.

  11. If you don’t want to take children into a store, why can’t you get someone to babysit? There have been too many infant deaths from leaving the baby in the car. Why don’t people use their heads? A baby can die in a few minutes with the heat in the car, probably in less time than it takes to do a quick “errand”. A baby is defenseless and depends on the parent for proper care. Leaving a baby in the car alone can lead to death, kidnapping or even severe medical problems. If you care about your children, don’t do it even for that “quick errand” and if you see an infant or child alone in the car, call the police. You may be saving a life.

  12. *
    *
    *
    Uh OH
    *
    *
    This reminds me of the time I was in a parking lot and a woman was going to get her nails done, so she left her huge diamond engagement ring on the dashboard of her car. OH WAIT. They never happened, because no one in thier right mind would leave a diamond ring out like that, But when it comes to a precious child…
    *
    *
    FYI – I have and will call the police when I see a baby left in a car. On a hot day, i HAVE and I will pry the door open to save the childs life.

  13. what happens if for some reason the air conditioner shuts down or stops working while you left your kid in the back seat of the car there are many reasons why the ac can shut down lack of gas,power, malfunction and a whole host of other reasons speak to a mechanic and that all it takes is a few minutes on hot day for a child to start suffocating a slow torcherous death all because you wanted to run a “small errend” which was supposed to take 5 minutes and ended up taking 45 minutes (every lady says i am going into the shoe store or clothing store for just 2 minutes to look at something and we all no those 2 minutes usually end up turning into 40 minutes if not 2 hours and the whole time they are unaware of time slipping by and they forget they left a baby outside in a death trap)

  14. All better hope i never see this happen, I’ll safely break the window, then call the authorities, and keep your child or children safe untill they arrive, then Ill press whatever charges available to the fullest extent of the law….Just cant be too safe

  15. #21-
    Oh, so if you can actually SEE your child dying from heatstroke it’s much better, now I understand. And if you can actually SEE some jerk running off with your precious (I hope) child, at least you could wave goddbye. Now I got it.

    SHEESH!

  16. Billy, I have many, many friends in Lakewood who are wonderful, responsible, devoted and caring parents (who would put many other parents out of Lakewood to shame). Just because you once in a while come across someone who acts in an irresponsible manner, this does not justify sweeping, negative statements about a whole community. A bit of respect and seeing the good in others is in order. If you follow the news, you’d be aware that unfortunately, leaving children in a car alone is an irresponsible action that is occasionally done by parents in all parts of the USA.

  17. Unfortunately, there have been many a disastrous outcome for those who left their child in a vehicle “for a mere two minutes”.
    Do tell us, “Chill”, have you ever gone shopping for two minutes and somehow ended staying for much more? Like meeting a long, lost friend or deciding that you had much more shopping to do?
    Frankly, I don’t even know why we are having this conversation.
    Responsible parents don’t leave kids in their vehicles
    Irresponsible parents do.

  18. I swear some of the comments I have seen on this story are just plain stupid. I mean how stupid can you be to think its OK to leave a helpless baby strapped in a car seat in a car for any more then the time it takes for the parent to get out and walk to around the car to get the child out. So many things can happen in a car that could injure a baby or kill them. Cars malfunction all the time the car could jump out of park and roll, it could catch fire, those are just a few things other then the heat already in the car that could kill the baby in just a few short minutes. To those of you who said its not a big deal or to mind our own business need to be locked in a hot car.

  19. Your child is precious, do not leave them even for a minute. children can die in the heat, they can swallow something quickly when left unattended, car jacked, and the list goes on. is it worth those minutes?
    I would call the police immediately!

  20. I will leave my car running and doors locked with my oldest watching…(she is 11). I was told this isn’t a problem, but does anyone know legally what age is “old enough”? Sometimes my kids don’t want to accompany me on an errand…they’d rather be listening to a tape while I retrieve the dry cleaning!

  21. If I offended any one with my last post, I’m sorry. I need to be more understanding that the way I was raised and watched over as a young child and how I tended to my children and grandkids are totally different when compared to the modern practice of raising children today. forgive me for painting the town with a wide brush of disgust. I guess OLD BILLYS a little behind the times when it come to raising and caring for little ones.

  22. To “weareingolus”:

    Out of curiosity, does your sign-in name imply that “what can we do; we are in exile and parents will leave their children in locked cars. Sigh… Oy vey…”? I sure hope not.

    At any rate: USE YOUR SECHEL. That is why you were created with a cerebellum in your Northern Hemisphere. If you have a child old enough to watch the younger ones, roll down the windows, turn off the ignition and have her sing Unlce Moishy songs. Leaving the ignition on may be tempting – even for an 11 year old – to take her first driving lesson.

  23. YID: I just want everyone to know that if I ever see someone leave their child in the car and run inside, I don’t care for how long, I will immediately call the police. I will not give you any warning.

    AND I SECOND THAT! IF THE CAR IS OFF, AND ITS HOT OUTSIDE, I WILL ADVISE THE DISPATCHER, AND BREAK A WINDOW IF I HAVE TOO. Save yourself the trouble, and use your brain!

  24. To all who would call police immediately – Please realize that in some cases, the mother (or father) inadvertently left the child in the car. Perhaps she forgot the child was in the car. In that case, a strong warning is enough to shake her up. You can give her tips to leave her purse near the car seat, etc… Calling the police will only cause more emotional trauma for the child, as who knows what parental rights may then be revoked from the parent. If you need to immediately get the child out of the car, & it is locked, call Chaverim & (or) Hatzalah & (or) crack open window to unlock & open door.

  25. to summerize all the posts DON’T LEAVE YOUR KIDS IN THE CAR PERIOD. NO IF ANDS OR BUTS ABOUT IT.
    if you really care about your children then take responsiblety for them and if you need to go out and don’t wont to take them find someone to watch them.

  26. I’m shocked that we seem to need this reminder year after year, and there are still people who come on this site and try to justify leaving children alone in a car. To “Nice” – your example was spot on. Who among us would leave a diamond ring unattended in a car? Are your children any less precious? The dangers are too many to anticipate – heat, car jacking, kidnapping. Leaving the car on with the AC running only increases the danger. Children can become entangled in the power windows and choke to death. They can move the gear shift lever out of park and set the vehicle in motion. They can burn themselves with the lighter. If you don’t think it can happen, just do some quick research. Many of these incidents end in tragedy. What could possibly be worth taking this chance? As someone who has worked in automotive safety for many years, I have seen these tragedies firsthand. You can’t imagine what these parents have gone through.

  27. #34 most people around here have no clue as to what a parents responsibiltys are

    i drive around town all the time & see kids unattened to with not a parent in sight !

    #32 she didnt answer back as she still thinks she did nothing wrong when i asked her last night
    in matter of fact she looked at me as if i was crazy and needed to see the doctor !
    i tild her lady here is $200 please go have your head examed !

    #27,36,40 YES YOUR CORRECT
    however according to the law you will have to pay for that broken window and if the child gets injured because of your action . yes sadly this is the law and weird it is

  28. For those who are strongly for privacy rights, then I guess we shouldn’t say tehilim for 7 year old girl with cancer either.
    Why should someone care about a child- it’s not anyone’s “business”

  29. if i catch you breaking my windows and telling me how to raise my kids, il use massive force to protect my car,property and privacy.
    there is no law in nj re cars and kids. if I deem it safe for my family you better BACK OFF!

  30. Strong Jew – how ironic that you talk about protecting your car, your property and your privacy. Are these things all more important to you than your children?

  31. As the temperature continues to rise outside, for your child’s sake and your own, practice car safety with your baby. Never leave an infant or young child alone in or around a car, “not even for a minute”. It is possible that a minute becomes 20 or 30 before you return to the car and tragedy.You don’t leave groceries in the car….don’t leave your child either and here is why: 3 children have already died this year nationwide from hyperthermia. The yearly average is 38 deaths each year.
    What are the dangers of leaving your child alone?
    Leaving your child alone in the car, even with the windows down, can put him or her at risk for heatstroke (hyperthermia).
    • Heatstroke can occur when the internal body organs or body temperature reaches 104°F. Heatstroke can cause irreversible brain damage and even death!
    Babies and young children are at very high risk because:
    • their core body temperature increases 3-5 times faster than an adult.
    • They are particularly vulnerable because they have difficulty escaping on their own
    • their respiratory and circulatory systems can’t handle heat as well as adults
    Within minutes, the temperature in a car rises about 19°. It rises 34° in a half hour and 43° in an hour.
    This means that on an average summer day of 75°, the temperature in the car would be 94° within a few minutes, 109° after 30 minutes and 118° after an hour!
    75 degrees outside and sunny is NO WAY TO DIE ! I am a nurse in a Neonatal intensive care unit and I teach this info to parents. iIhope it helps all of you to know this….you may need to use it some day to save the life of a child.

  32. It IS illegal to leave a child in a vehicle unattended. There have been several publicized cases in recent months. To #46 Strong Jew, you are not a smart Jew. Besides the child endangerment charge, you would face assault and battery charges.

  33. TO Strong Jew

    LEAVE YOUR KID IN THE CAR, AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. YOU DONT SCARE ANYONE. NOT ONLY WILL YOU BE IN TROUBLE FOR LEAVING YOUR KID IN THE CAR, BUT IF I HAVE TO RESTRAIN YOU, YOU’LL GO TO JAIL FOR ASSAULT.

  34. If anyone is reading this and would like to help us with the ongoing tehilllim chain for sara gitel bas miriam mira, please go to that posting and join in. Tizku l’mitzvos and good Shabbos.

  35. It is not illegal in NJ. if I deem it safer to leave my kids in a new air conditioned car, or if its a mild day. As opposed to letting them run lose in a crowded shopping mall, crossing busy intersections slipping in ice, getting sick from the cold or just cuz im in the mood, its NON OF YOUR BUSINESS!
    Does it make you feel good that you are a neurotic violent maniac who believes that car jackers and child snatchers prefer kids in locked cars than kids playing on busy sidewalks then you need help!
    Dont touch my property. Call the police, mommy or the authorities. I dont care!

  36. TO ALL THOSE WHO SAY MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS,IT IS MY BUSINESS!!!!!!!!!! IT’S A CHILUL HASHEM I’TS DANGEROUS.WOULD YOU LEAVE A FEW A FEW HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS IN A CAR FOR EVERYONE TO SEE?ASIDE FROM THAT PEOPLE GET CAUGHT UP IN DISTRACTIONS AND LOOSE THEIR SENSE OF TIME.WHO EVER DOES THIS DOES’NT DESERVE TO HAVE CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!!

  37. Just take child out of car & go into store/s till u find parent & anounce “WHO LEFT THIS CHILD IN CAR?!!!” I tried it & they sure got the message loud & clear & promised never to do it agaim.And begged me not to tell her husband which I promised I wouldnt.

  38. “To the one who says parents forget.” How in the right mind if someone takes his kids shopping forget them in the back. For this i think you should call the police.

  39. If you ever see a Babys face melted from the heat in a Car .You will never ever ,ever get over that sight
    I am sorry my Son found a Baby like that .It is in his prayer every night since.

  40. this baby is worth thousands of dollars to kidnnapers on the black market.and will go through corrupt lawyers and sell them to people who can’t have children of their own.800,000 children and women went missing last year in the usa alone.most will never be found again.some of you people live in a fantasy world.look up the facts and you’ll see.not long ago a young woman in lakewood was abducted.B’H she was very lucky to be found alive.

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