Boy, eight, found unresponsive after hiding in back of mother's hot van
An eight-year-old boy rushed to hospital in a critical condition had hidden himself in the back of his mother’s van in Melbourne and spent several hours inside the vehicle while she was at work before he was found.
The boy was found “unresponsive” by his mother about 2.45pm in Newport on Monday as the temperature soared to more than 30C.
“The boy’s mother dropped her children at primary school in the morning, however, didn’t realise one of the kids had climbed into the rear of the car and hid himself,” Victoria police spokeswoman Leonie Johnson said on Tuesday.
“She has driven to work and parked her car without knowing he was in there.”
After the mother made the shocking discovery, emergency services took the child to the Royal Children’s hospital, where his condition had improved from critical to serious by Tuesday afternoon.
Police initially called in the homicide squad, but have since con- firmed they are treating the inci- dent as an accident.The principal of Newport Gardens primary school, where the woman worked, released a statement to parents and carers on Monday.
“As you may be aware, an incident occurred today at school involving a staff member and a member of their family,” principal Simon McGlade said in the statement. “The incident didn’t involve any students from our school.”
Footage from the scene showed police examining a black people mover, parked in the street, which was later removed.
Victoria’s health minister, Jill Hennessy, offered a general warning to parents on Tuesday.
“Get your children out of the car, do not leave them there, whatever inconvenience that involves, it’s a price worth paying,” she said. “It can be really inconvenient to get them in and out of baby seats, parents are really busy, but a child left in a car can easily die.”
The school sent well wishes to the family involved.
“Support will be made available for any staff, students and families that need it,” McGlade said, asking for privacy for those involved.