CORPUS CHRISTI (Kiii News) -
Kids left in hot vehicles in the middle of the summer can have tragic results, and many times it's a result of momentary forgetfulness.
It was a close call and a hard lesson to learn for one Corpus Christi woman Thursday, after police ended up having to break her vehicle's window to get her children out.
The call to 911 dispatchers came in just before 3 p.m., as two children were left in a car in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Greenwood and SPID.
That call was made by the children's grandmother, who had just strapped them into their car seats in her sport utility vehicle and closed the doors. Soon after, she realized that she had left the keys inside.
"Dispatch had advised us that it would be at least a half hour as soon as possible as Pop-a-Lock could get here to open it up," Lt. T. Brown of the Corpus Christi Police Department said. "My officer made the decision to go ahead and break the window to get the kids out. They were obviously already upset. They couldn't get out, and their grandma was on the outside."
Police believe the children were in the car for about 10 minutes before officers broke the SUV's window. They were not injured, and no charges will be filed against the grandmother since it was clearly an accident.
"My best advice is on this situation is just to know to keep your keys in your hand," Brown said. "Put them in your pocket, hang them around your neck, whatever, so that you have them."
Texas consistently leads the nation in the number of hyperthermia deaths in unattended children in cars. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics, an average of 38 children die after being in a hot car or truck every year.
