Mom Accidentally Locks Newborn In Hot Car, 911 Operator Refuses To Send Help

A mother’s nightmare unfolded when she accidentally locked her 2-month-old baby, Raina, inside a scorching hot car. Lacey Guyton, hailing from Waterford, described it as the most terrifying moment of her life. She had inadvertently left the keys in her diaper bag, placed the bag inside the car with Raina, and shut the door, causing it to lock automatically.

In a frantic state, Guyton dialed 911 for help, desperately seeking assistance to rescue her trapped child. However, her distressing situation took an unexpected turn when the dispatcher allegedly refused to send aid. Guyton recounted the dispatcher’s words, “I need someone with signs on their car that can move traffic over, I don’t have much time.” To her disbelief, the dispatcher declined her request for help, emphasizing that they don’t send assistance to unlock cars or break windows. Instead, the dispatcher suggested connecting her to a tow company.

With no other recourse available, Guyton had to take matters into her own hands to save her baby. She vividly described the harrowing moments, recalling, “I saw her start to close her eyes, and I just ran to the back window and smashed it open.” The 2-month-old, who had been confined inside the stifling car for approximately 10 minutes, was rescued, though she was drenched in sweat and crying.

The grandmother, Mary Riley, who witnessed this heart-wrenching ordeal, expressed her feelings of helplessness, stating, “It’s the most helpless feeling to see your great-grandbaby in there crying and drenched in sweat. We want this corrected. We want to ensure that no one loses their child due to a failure to address this issue.”

Waterford police recognized the gravity of the situation and promptly issued an apology to Guyton. Chief Scott Underwood acknowledged the dispatcher’s mishandling of the emergency and emphasized the need for swift action, saying, “It’s a common sense issue. You call 911, you expect for somebody to come and give you some help, and we certainly should have gone and done that. We acknowledge our error and are committed to rectifying it.”

The dispatcher responsible for the inadequate response will face disciplinary action as a result of their failure to provide assistance when it was desperately needed. Thankfully, both mother and daughter have since recovered from this distressing ordeal. This incident underscores the importance of efficient emergency responses, especially in life-threatening situations involving infants.