KS - Raylynn & Kyler Gardner, both 3, die in hot car, Topeka, 24 Aug 2008

[Salem]

Sorry, Salem. Same as Christine posted is the article I saw it on.

Thanks Filly and Christine. These two cases are very, very similar. Both are very distrubing. The little girl in this case was almost 4 years old, she should have been able to get out. I don't get it

Salem

 

[Salem]

It doesn't sound as if they were in car seats. One child was on the front floorboard and the other was lying in the backseat.

I think it is very possible they could have been hiding from their mom, as TGIR suggested above. Maybe they were playing, maybe they were told to stay there? I don't know, but something is wrong. The doors were unlocked. Also it says Mom discovered them missing about 1:00 p.m. and called LE at 2:10 p.m. That's an hour and 10 minutes. I'm not sure I would have waited that long. Originally it was said that it was 40 minutes before mom called LE and while I thought this was reasonable, to me, it was on the Long end of reasonable. But if others were helping her search, who knows. But an hour? Would you wait an hour if you couldn't find your 4 and 3 year olds?

Also says mom looked in the car at the curb but didn't check the car in the driveway. I wonder why? Maybe it was someone else's car and she didn't think the kids would get in there? I don't know, but this is distressing.

Salem

 

[southcitymom]

It doesn't sound as if they were in car seats. One child was on the front floorboard and the other was lying in the backseat.

I think it is very possible they could have been hiding from their mom, as TGIR suggested above. Maybe they were playing, maybe they were told to stay there? I don't know, but something is wrong. The doors were unlocked. Also it says Mom discovered them missing about 1:00 p.m. and called LE at 2:10 p.m. That's an hour and 10 minutes. I'm not sure I would have waited that long. Originally it was said that it was 40 minutes before mom called LE and while I thought this was reasonable, to me, it was on the Long end of reasonable. But if others were helping her search, who knows. But an hour? Would you wait an hour if you couldn't find your 4 and 3 year olds?

Also says mom looked in the car at the curb but didn't check the car in the driveway. I wonder why? Maybe it was someone else's car and she didn't think the kids would get in there? I don't know, but this is distressing.

Salem

As far as the time elapsed between the kids missing and LE being called - I can see time getting away from you as you search high and low. IMHO, the Mom was pretty timely in her response.

On a different thread along these lines a woman posted that her 3-4 year old almost died from heat exhaustion after being in a car for a pretty short period of time. Luckily - they found her and were able to revive her but it was close. I just bring that up because I really think heat exhaustion - and death - can happen a lot quicker than we might think. Perhaps the children were overcome quickly and kind of passed out and that was it.

I'm definitely need information before my suspicions are aroused. As of now it seems like a tragic accident.

 

[Salem]

Thanks for the feedback SouthCity. I agree about needing more information before making up my mind, but my suspicions have been aroused. It was only 77 degrees outside and while I understand the car would have been much warmer inside, especially if it was parked directly in the sun, I still think the 4-year old could have opened the door. The deputy that found the children did say the car was very hot inside. Also, it sounds like the search party was just moments to late to save the children unfortunately. I do think if the mother or someone else was doing something deliberately, they would have waited even longer to call LE, so I am not passing judgment here. I think there is weight on both sides of this story. But I am suspicious.

Salem

 

[fran]

This sounds like a tragic accident all the way around. To me it appears the children may have been playing hide 'n seek from their mom. They got sleepy and ended up dying. It seems the mom did act in a timely manner.

I know here when it's 75 or so and your car is sitting in the sun, it is really hot inside the car. I'm not sure how hot, but 90 plus degrees, IMO. Hot enough to burn your hand to touch anything leather.

When my children were little, I'd let them play in the fenced in back yard without me physically being out there. As long as I heard them playing or could see them, they were fine. But if it got quiet, then I'd go out and check on them to see what mischief they were up to.

Once my teenage son was doing yard work and accidentally left the gate opened. My 1 yo quickly discovered the opened gate and headed to the front and was unsteadily running down the sidewalk by the time I found her. Scared me to death! She could have run out in the street!

Perhaps when the mom couldn't hear them playing is when she checked and they were nowhere to be found. That's when she jumped in her car that was at the curb and drove around the neighborhood to find them. When she was unsuccessful, she called LE.

It seems as if all that are involved are blaming themselves for this tragedy. The mom for not thinking to look in the car in the driveway and the officers for the miscommunication they got regarding the car the mom had used. The officers thought the car the children were found in, is the one the mom used to go look for them.

Prayers to all those involved. This is a tuff one.

JMHO
fran

 

[Salem]

Bumping for follow up.

Salem

 

[petresq_algc]

I really worry about this being a possibility & hope that toxicology is done on these kids. There was a case here a few years ago where a baby was found (by random shoppers) left in the car in a mall parking lot. They yelled for help & called 911. The baby was already passed out. Thankfully he survived. It was later discovered that he had been given a dose of Benadryl prior to being left in the car. It was only considered negligence but that Benadryl dose raised the hairs on the back of my neck.

 

[Salem]

Interesting fact sheet on vehicle hyperthermia deaths:

http://ggweather.com/heat/

Salem