ODESSA, Texas —
A child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult's and that child can die once their body temperature reaches 107 degrees, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
That is why it’s important to not neglect a child in a hot car if someone sees one.
“One of the worst things you can do is just ignore it and think, 'oh, somebody else will do something.' Definitely call 911 immediately; it's something that we take very seriously, so if we do respond to that type of call, which we have in the past, I don't I can't think of any up top my head recently," said Corporal Steve LeSueur with the Odessa Police Department. "But if we do, we are going to respond very quickly and we will be breaking out the window and just know that, if the elements are met, that the parent or guardian or person responsible will be arrested for abandoning or endangering a child, which is a felony.”
Even if someone is not sure how long the child has been inside the vehicle or they look fine, Corporal LeSueur said it’s better to not take a chance.
“It's always better to be safe than sorry, you just don't know. And it's just not worth it. But again, the worst thing that you can do is ignore the situation," Corporal LeSueur said. "Please, you know, be a good Samaritan. Contact us, call 911, stay with the child, talk with dispatch until we're on scene. You could be the difference between saving that life, you know, saving that child or not.”
Now, if the situation seems dire enough, but first responders haven’t arrived yet, OPD said a person can’t be charged for breaking a car window or forcing a car door open if the intention is to save a child from a hot car.
As far as the chance of facing a civil lawsuit, Texas has a good Samaritan statute that generally protects somebody attempting to rescue somebody in an emergency. This goes along with the "Legal Doctrine of Necessity."