Seeking protection for people breaking into hot cars to save kids / pets
Two Republican lawmakers in the Ohio Senate have introduced a bill to protect people from prosecution who break into hot cars to save the lives of children and pets. The bill provides immunity for people who bust a window or, in some other way, forcibly break into a vehicle to save the life of a child or pet.
In the last year, there have been numerous stories of infants and children who have died inside of hot cars after parents left them inside of those vehicles. In Northeast Ohio this week, an 8-month old boy died after his three siblings were dropped off at a daycare, but he was forgotten about and left in the backseat of an SUV. His grandmother drove the vehicle to her job at Wal-Mart and the child was left in the parking lot, in the baking sun, throughout the afternoon. His body was found later when his mother called the grandmother saying that the infant had not come home from daycare.
Under the provisions of the bill proposed by Jim Hughes of Columbus and Frank LaRose of Copley, the would-be hero must call 911 before breaking into the vehicle and there must not be any obvious other way to gain access to the child or pet. The action must also be a legitimate attempt to save the victim from a life-threatening circumstance. (jj)
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