Results tagged “accident” from iVillage - Beehive

Last week, prosecutors said that a southwest Ohio school administrator won't face charges over her 2-year-old daughter's death in a sweltering car.

Authorities said Brenda Nesselroad-Slaby left her daughter, Cecilia, strapped into a car seat in her SUV for about eight hours while she went into work on Aug. 23, a day when temperatures reached 100 degrees.

Leaving the child in the car was "a substantial lapse of due care" but did not meet the definition of reckless conduct necessary for prosecution, said Clermont County Prosecutor Don White.

The news prompted angry posts on iVillage's message boards. Some expressed outrage at the fact that the Nesselroad-Slaby escaped prosecution, especially in light of reports that that she had left her daughter in the car unattended on previous occasions. Others, like member britstarlite32205, were left asking questions:

"It boggles my mind that this woman was able to get away with such a horrendous crime against her child. Where is the justice?"

Member rtmom07 points out that a police officer was recently charged with animal cruelty after the police dog he left in his car on a 109-degree day died. She, too, has questions:

"Now this guy is getting charged with animal cruelty for letting his dog die in the car. That is horrible enough, but no punishment for letting your own child die of the heat in your own car? I simply cannot understand the thinking!! I like dogs, but shouldn't a child's life be at least as important?"

Many can't comprehend how any mother could forget her child, not just for a few minutes, but for an entire day. Was this negligence? Member ddnlj thinks so: "'Forget'" doesn't cut it when it comes to a child. I'll bet these same people leave the house remembering their cellphone, briefcase and laptop... If they are that wrapped up in their work that they forget their parenting responsibilities then they need a new, less stressful job."

The AP identified more than 220 cases in which the caregiver admitted leaving the child behind. More than three-quarters of those people said they simply forgot.

The same day as Cecilia's death, a 7-month-old infant died in a parked car near the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, where the child's father is a research analyst, authorities said.
Prosecutors there have not said if they will file charges.

Last weekend, an Oregon man was charged with child neglect, accused of leaving his 2-year-old daughter in a car in 95-degree heat in the parking lot of a Nevada brothel. The toddler was treated for dehydration and released to the Nevada Division of Child and Family Services.

For more information on hyperthermia deaths of children in vehicles, including statistics and safety recommendations, see or download a fact sheet at Golden Gate Weather Services.

Tell us what you think. Do you agree with the decision not to file criminal charges against Nesselroad-Slaby?