“Unthinkable happened” when mum left kids in car to pay for petrol
A horrific accident is serving as a reminder for parents to never leave young children alone in the car, even when quickly paying for petrol.
A Missouri mum left her one-year-old and three-year-old alone in her SUV while she dashed in to pay for petrol. But in the moments she was gone, the toddlers managed to unbuckle their seatbelts and shift the car into reverse, causing the car to smash into a petrol pump and start a fire.
Thankfully, a stranger stepped in and rescued the children from the flames, who were unharmed.
Officials are now sharing photos of the accident that occurred on Wednesday to warn parents of the danger of leaving children unattended in cars.
Lisa Cox, a spokesperson for Springfield Police, said it is a crime to leave children unattended in a car. She did rule out the possibility of charges being filed against the mother.
Speaking to KY3, Daphne Greenlee, manager of Mercy Injury Prevention, said: “We hear about this all the time. Unfortunately, parents just get busy and are running into the pay for gas or the bank, or whatever, and it happens more often than we like,” before reminding parents: “The inconvenience that can happen does not outweigh the child's safety."