FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sergeant Charles J. Warner
Franklin PD Public Affairs
615.550.6821
cwarner@franklintn.gov
Franklin, TN – Every summer, heartbreaking and preventable deaths happen when children are left alone in hot cars. According to a
WebMD report, more than 600 U.S. children have died that way since 1990.
Some parents may not want to take their child in and out of their cumbersome car seat for what they think will be a quick stop at the gas station or drug store. Leaving a child in a parked car is dangerous, and in Tennessee – it’s illegal.
Just yesterday, a 25-year-old Franklin mom was issued a misdemeanor citation for leaving her infant child unattended in her vehicle while she went into a gas station.
No matter the temperature, leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle is,
at minimum, a Class-B Misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $200 for the first offense. Police will continue to be on the lookout for children left alone in cars, and encourage community members to do the same. If you see a child left in a car, call 911. Violators will be charged.