GILBERT, AZ (AZFamily) — Six years ago, the Jones family in Gilbert lost their 4-year-old daughter, Charlotte, after she was left in a hot car.
Nicknamed Charly, her mother Angela Jones said she misses her laugh the most.
“Her giggle was next-level; it was contagious,” Angela said. “Her laugh was just the best. Charly was a daredevil. She loved to do scary things. She had no fear.”
Angela said their family was about to go on vacation when tragedy struck. Charly was the youngest of three sisters, and the family decided to keep Charly home from preschool before hitting the road. Angela said her husband dropped Charly’s older sisters off at school, and that’s when their world came tumbling down.
“He loaded the girls up in the truck, drove the older two to elementary school, dropped them off,” Angela said. “He pulled into our driveway like he normally would, came inside the house started working, not realizing that he never got Charly out of the car.”
According to Kids and Car Safety, Arizona is ranked 4th for child hot car deaths in the last 30 years.
Phoenix Fire Captain Todd Keller said crews respond to hot car emergencies every year in the Valley. Keller also said being out of normal routines typically leads to tragedies like the Joneses’.
“Always remember to leave a personal item is the number one thing … a phone, a purse, so when you do get out of your car, it reminds you to grab your purse,” he said.
Before you head out the door with your kids, Cpt. Keller said it’s crucial to take these steps:
- Look before you lock
- Over-communicate to check in
- Make it a habit to always open your back door
- Always have a rearview visual of your child
- Install backseat alerts and sensors
Angela said she never wants another family to feel the same pain her family felt. She also said if her family had followed the advice that Keller gave, Charly would still be alive today.
“I never thought this could happen to me in my life,” she said. “I mean, we did so many things to protect our kids. Why I share this story is so that people can realize that it can happen to anyone. It can happen to doctors, lawyers, normal, good, loving families, and if you don’t think that it can happen, that’s going to be your biggest mistake.”
If you ever see a child or pet stuck in a hot car, Arizona law protects individuals who break a car window to rescue them, if it’s believed the child or pet is at imminent risk of injury or death.
According to Kids and Car Safety, more new cars are being built with alert technology that reminds drivers to check the back seat. The organization is pushing to make the U.S. Department of Transportation require the alert system to prevent more kids from dying in hot cars.
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