ND - Kate Boe, 5 mos, dies in hot car, Grand Forks, 28 June 2006

[ember]

I am the same way. People think I am too "anal". I dont care, when It comes to my child I will do anything to try to keep them safe!!

Me too! Even my kids say "mom you worry too much!"
But I tell them that's my job!
I would rather be saying "what if" than "If only"...

 

[michelle]

I would rather be saying "what if" than "If only"...

EXACTLY!!!!:clap:

 

[TisHerself]

EXACTLY!!!!:clap:

What I don't understand is, when she went to the day care after work to pick the baby up, isn't it odd she did not remember she not go there in the morning?

 

[michelle]

What I don't understand is, when she went to the day care after work to pick the baby up, isn't it odd she did not remember she not go there in the morning?

YES that is odd, That stood out to me too. I wonder if she is on medication or something?

 

[mic730]

It makes me wonder if someone should invent some kind of a warning device -- rigged through the car seat to the ignition key or something -- alerting parents that they haven't removed the child from the car seat. OMG this is awful, and happens repeatedly! I did once drive off leaving my daughter in her car seat on the front porch -- only for about 30 seconds though! I was horrified! So busy trying to get my 2-year old buckled in, I forgot about her, she was patiently waiting in her car seat on the porch! EEK!

Eve

Eve this is an awesome idea! This is the very type of thing a parent would buy. You really should try to do this.

My aunt drove to work one day several years ago noticed her 2 year old still asleep in the car seat. She is an extemley responsible parent but IMO was mesmorized by routine. Like road hypnosis is how I think this happens.

 

[Amraann]

I think its like "auto pilot"

Have you ever driven your normal route home and gotten home and came out of your "trance?"

I mean you were aware and alert but your mind is sooo far off.
I know this is different because a baby was involved.
Its sad but IMO not criminal. This women is not a threat to society.

 

[kgeaux]

It makes me wonder if someone should invent some kind of a warning device -- rigged through the car seat to the ignition key or something -- alerting parents that they haven't removed the child from the car seat. OMG this is awful, and happens repeatedly! I did once drive off leaving my daughter in her car seat on the front porch -- only for about 30 seconds though! I was horrified! So busy trying to get my 2-year old buckled in, I forgot about her, she was patiently waiting in her car seat on the porch! EEK!

Eve

Sweetie, Go for it! Your idea is an idea that has been a long time in coming.

I have never forgotten a child in a car seat--BUT, and I hate to admit this, since the mom has been called an idiot, etc., I have forgotten a child at home. We had this huge van, and 4 kids in 5 1/2 years and were off to the dentist. I had loaded everyone up and ran back into the house to grab my purse or something. When we got to the dentist, I counted One, Two, Three, as my boys climbed out of the van. But where, oh where was the baby? At home. Hiding under the azalea bush in the front yard. He had climbed out of his car seat after I'd loaded him up, and I didn't recount before backing out of the driveway. To this day I break out in a cold sweat when I realize all the horrible things that could have happened. I could have backed over him. Someone evil could have come by and picked him up before I drove up to rescue him. All kinds of bad things could have happened.

I can only imagine this mother's guilt, and I have nothing but sympathy for her. Her pain must be awful, as she realizes how her baby suffered and died because she was distracted or forgot or whatever. I've come too close to her tragedy for me to condem her.

 

[ljwf22]

I like the idea of an alarm going off if a sealbelt is still buckled when the car is turned off. Some new school buses have an alarm that goes off if the driver doesn't inspect (and touch) every seat during the post-route inspection.

Unless the baby was in the third seat of a van, I don't know how she would not have seen the baby. Maybe because I always have more than just a purse to take into work and I put my tote bags in the back seat. And I wonder why day care didn't call when the baby didn't show up for the day. So sad. I can't even fathom the grief for the family,

 

[beakiebean]

This isn't quite as high tech (and I really like the idea of an alarm too!) but I read an article once that said to always put your purse, wallet, or something you'd have to take with you in the back seat so you always had to look back there and get it and you'd see the backseat and see your child in there.

 

[concernedperson]

I just don't think I would ever forget a child maybe if the coffee pot was still on. But, that has been proven faulty over the years.It is always off even when I worry about it.

Maybe, I am too sensitive about children. I just go into overdrive about them. Not saying stuff didn't happen to them but I always knew if they were in the back seat or not.

On a humorous note, my two year old knocked over a shelf at a store. Broke all the things on it. He was pugnacious at best. Active too. I walked my young butt right out....couldn't hardly afford groceries much less a shelf at the store. I know, a chicken chit way to deal but I would rather state my faults than rest on bad legs.

 

[Amraann]

I like the idea of an alarm going off if a sealbelt is still buckled when the car is turned off. Some new school buses have an alarm that goes off if the driver doesn't inspect (and touch) every seat during the post-route inspection.

Unless the baby was in the third seat of a van, I don't know how she would not have seen the baby. Maybe because I always have more than just a purse to take into work and I put my tote bags in the back seat. And I wonder why day care didn't call when the baby didn't show up for the day. So sad. I can't even fathom the grief for the family,

I think the alarm should go off until the baby is removed.
Plenty of carseats are not removed when unloading a baby, therefore the belt would remain locked.

 

[lilsister]

Still a great concept...wow! kudos!!!!!

 

[ljwf22]

I think the alarm should go off until the baby is removed.
Plenty of carseats are not removed when unloading a baby, therefore the belt would remain locked.

Ah! Didn't think of that! Then an alarm somehow attached to the carseat's buckle...or the base which stays in the car.

 

[TisHerself]

YES that is odd, That stood out to me too. I wonder if she is on medication or something?

I was wondering about that also, I just really can't understand how she could not know she did not go there in the morning. I mean I can understand maybe forgetting a baby in a car, but how do you go back to pick a baby up and not remember you never even dropped her offf?

 

[Old Broad]

Here are some links to other incidents where babies were forgotten in the car.

This one was an aunt who was babysitting.
http://www.4rkidssake.org/FL1427.htm

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/text/2005/oct/04/519460640.html
This one lists several cases in Las Vegas, one a father who forgot to drop off the child at daycare on his way to work as a teacher.

http://www.rr-bb.com/archive/index.php/t-111173.html

This is another mother who forgot to drop the baby off at daycare, later the father went to pick up the baby and was told it was not there so he called his wife, she then ran out to the car to find her baby still inside.

Yet another father, forgot his 10 month old baby was in the backseat as he parked the car at work.
http://www.irvineworldnews.com/Astories/aug14/child.htm

This story tells of a father who forgot his baby in his car parked at the train station. He suddenly remembered after traveling on the train and was able to take another train back to the car. People had already spotted the abandoned baby and it had already been rescued so luckily that baby was saved!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11982453/

I could list so many more stories just like these here, it seems the list never ends!

Old Broad

 

[GlitchWizard]

Whoever suggested the idea of a car seat indicator - PLEASE contact the patent office immediately, fill out the forms so you get to get rich off the idea, and then contact Ford, Chevy, Dodge, etc. Whoever and get this product out on the market. They're making cameras on the back of minivans because of people backing over their kids - I'm sure your idea will really fly. If you need proof you were the first to mention it - print this thread out - you've got a spectacular idea and anyone who has their husband drive their baby to work would demand it to be in their car.

It would make me feel better knowing the product was out there, too.

 

[Paladin]

Sadly, I agree a device like this would be a good idea. Why sadly though? People SHOULDN'T need a device to remind them to be a friggin' parent and remember their child is in the back seat.

I don't want it to get to the point where we use devices like this as a crutch to help us parent, and heaven forbid if the device fails and a child die, we'll see countless recalls and lawsuits by lazy parents using this as an excuse for not caring about thier child enough to remember where they are.

 

[Yakwoman]

Here's an update on the story:

The investigation into the death of a 5-month-old girl left alone in a van all day Wednesday may take weeks to complete, Grand Forks police said.

Andrea Boe, 34, thought she had left her daughter, Kate, at a day-care center before going to work Wednesday morning, authorities said. Police said the mother drove to her day care about 5:30 p.m., after leaving work, and was told she had not dropped the girl off earlier.

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/14935197.htm

 

[GlitchWizard]

Sadly, I agree a device like this would be a good idea. Why sadly though? People SHOULDN'T need a device to remind them to be a friggin' parent and remember their child is in the back seat.

I don't want it to get to the point where we use devices like this as a crutch to help us parent, and heaven forbid if the device fails and a child die, we'll see countless recalls and lawsuits by lazy parents using this as an excuse for not caring about thier child enough to remember where they are.

If the seatbelt device fails and the driver doesn't put his or her seatbelt on, the car manufacturer isn't at fault when you become part of the dashboard.

Maybe parents can tether themselves to their children.

 

[Jade]

Here's an update on the story:

The investigation into the death of a 5-month-old girl left alone in a van all day Wednesday may take weeks to complete, Grand Forks police said.

Andrea Boe, 34, thought she had left her daughter, Kate, at a day-care center before going to work Wednesday morning, authorities said. Police said the mother drove to her day care about 5:30 p.m., after leaving work, and was told she had not dropped the girl off earlier.

http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/14935197.htm

What a horrid scene that must have been at the day care center….
Are there any siblings?
At 34 with a 5 month old and a job maybe she was sleep deprived? Wonder what kind of work she did? Mine didn’t go to day care until much older and only a couple days a week but the dropping off and picking up was a major event in my day. I would think at 5 months there would be quite a bit of paraphernalia that would have to be prepared and carried in as well.

So sad.