A parent's nightmare played out in the parking lot of a Costco in New York, as their child was locked inside the family's car on one of the hottest days of the year, police said.
Police in Clarkstown got a call about a boy who had been locked in a vehicle at the wholesaler on Overlook Boulevard in Nanuet after 2 p.m., according to law enforcement. Officers who arrived at the scene found the father who said his son was locked inside.
One of the officers could see the child in the back seat and, without knowing how long the child had been stuck in the car, broke the vehicle's window to get him out, police said. The boy was alert and conscious when he was taken out of the vehicle, and was taken to Montefiore Nyack Hospital for further evaluation. He was expected to recover.
An investigation found that the dad had gone back to his vehicle to get his wallet, and put his kid in the back seat as he searched the trunk. Clarkstown Police said the father closed the trunk, and quickly realized he had locked his son inside.
The dad frantically tried to get into the car, but that failed, so he ran to get help.
The child had been in the vehicle for about 15 minutes before being rescued, police said. Highs reached 98 degrees Tuesday afternoon, and temperatures inside a car can rise by 20 degrees in just 10 minutes — so racing to get the child out was key to saving his life. Children can also heat up three to five times faster than adults.
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Police said no criminality was suspected in connection with the incident.
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The incident came less than a day after two other incidents of children being left in hot cars in the New York City area, both of which turned tragic as the children did not survive.
According to the Monticello Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call of a child in cardiac arrest inside a vehicle located outside Sleepy Hollow Apartment Complex around 6:45 p.m. Monday. Emergency crews weren't able to revive the child, who was pronounced dead at the scene by the Sullivan County coroner.
It was not immediately clear just how long the child had been left in the vehicle. The New York State Police is leading the investigation. There was no word on a possible suspect or suspects, nor was there additional detail on the circumstances.
A similar tragedy unfolded in New Jersey earlier in the day. In that case, an 8-week-old girl died. Her father was charged.
According to the advocacy group Kids and Car Safety, there have been at least 12 children to die in hot car thus far in 2024.
