Two Jacksonville officers swiftly rescued a toddler locked in a hot car, highlighting the risks of rising temperatures and urging parents to be vigilant.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As temperatures begin to climb across the First Coast, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is reminding families how quickly a dangerous situation can develop inside a parked car.
Earlier this month, two officers rushed to help after a toddler was accidentally locked inside a vehicle at River City Marketplace.
Body camera video shows Jacksonville officers Shawn Crocker and Phil Massicotte responding to the call on March 2 after a mother realized her toddler was locked inside her car while the family was preparing to go shopping.
According to police, the child had unbuckled himself from his car seat while the mother and grandmother were outside the vehicle. At some point, the door was accidentally locked with the keys left in the car.
The mother immediately called for help, and officers arrived within about five minutes.
“You got a mom and a grandma in the front seat that got out to go get the toddler out to go shopping and he’s already bouncing out of the car seat, and then all of a sudden grandma locked the door, and she didn’t open the back door yet, and it was a simple mistake,” Crocker said.
Body camera footage shows the officers quickly working to unlock the vehicle using specialized tools instead of breaking the window, which could have injured the child.
“So it’s a simple lockout kit that I keep in my vehicle, it’s a wedge with some airbags, it helps separate the door from the B pillar of the car, and it allows us to get the device in there to pull the door handle,” said Crocker.
In less than ten minutes, the officers opened the door and safely reunited the toddler with his mother.
Police say situations like this can happen quickly and encourage parents and caregivers to take extra precautions when getting in and out of their vehicles.
“Lock your doors, keep your keys in your pocket instead of in your hand because you can easily drop your keys,” Massicotte said.
Officers also warn that temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly, even if the windows are slightly open.
“Understand that a car heats up tremendously fast, and people don’t realize it,” Crocker said. “When people go shopping and walk back in their car, they feel that heat, but that heat is pretty quick inside the vehicle. Us working together and kind of bringing the calm to the storm, if you will, is something Phil and I have done for years,” Croker said.
Officers say accidents like this can happen to anyone and urge parents and caregivers to call for help immediately if a child is ever locked inside a vehicle.