MANHATTAN — As temperatures heat up, Riley County Police Department officials are urging the public to take a moment and check your car.
Too often, kids and animals get left unattended in hot vehicles. RCPD spokesperson Hali Rowland says it can be extremely dangerous and often fatal.
“Obviously we don’t want kids or animals to be left in hot cars. If the temperature continues to rise, when you’re not in the vehicle and the vehicle is not turned on, that temperature goes up and up and up. So we want to make sure you’re never leaving your animal or child behind for any length of time, especially in the summer months,” Rowland said.
According to the National Safety Council, 52 children died in hot cars nationally in 2018. It was the deadliest year on record in the past 20 years. Since 1998, almost 800 children have died from heatstroke; 24 percent occurred in employer parking lots while the parent or caregiver was at work. Most recently, on June 8, a 3-year-old girl died in Butler County after she was left unattended in a hot car. The temperature that day was 86 degrees.
Rowland adds that in many cases, officers respond to cases where a parent accidentally locked themselves out of a vehicle with a child or pet inside. She explains the best course of action, should this happen to you.
“The best thing to do is to give emergency services a call. Give us a call at 911, let us know if there’s an emergency situation. We can get emergency services out quicker to ensure that child gets to safety,” Rowland said.
Rowland says even if you’re not sure if it’s an emergency situation, it’s still a good idea to call the emergency line and they’ll send out help just in case.
And it’s good practice to leave your vehicle locked at all times. This will keep kids, as they play outside, from becoming accidentally trapped in a hot vehicle. Having a reminder like setting a toy in the front seat of your car, or putting your cell phone in the back seat with the child can be helpful tips to remind you to always check before exiting your vehicle.
Temperatures in the Manhattan area are expected to hover above 90 degrees through Independence Day.
