A Kansas couple allegedly left their six children, including two infants, in a hot car while they dined at a fast food chain on one of the most scorching days of the year, according to reports and authorities.
Michael Krueger, 53, and Tiffany Krueger, 40, were each hit with six counts of aggravated child endangerment after cops were dispatched to the Wingstop in Salina on Wednesday afternoon, KWCH reported.
The Kruegers were allegedly inside the chicken wings joint for 20 to 30 minutes while the children sat inside the car with one window down and no air conditioning, the outlet reported.
The kids inside the car included two 7-month-old children, a 2-year-old, a 4-year-old, a 5-year-old, and a 13-year-old, KSAL reported.
Temperatures climbed near the triple digits in the city on Wednesday, with a heat index of over 100 degrees.
Emergency responders evaluated the children on the scene. It’s unclear if any of them suffered heat-related illnesses. The kids were later brought into protective custody, the outlet reported.
Chad Scoville from the Salina Fire Department warned that children are more vulnerable to the heat than adults, especially inside vehicles where temperatures can quickly become dangerous.
“A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than adults’,” Scoville told KWCH. “They just do not have the same regulating capabilities that an adult does.”
“Temperatures can reach deadly levels inside cars within minutes,” Scoville said. “Anything can happen at any time, even if you think you’re going to be minutes — that could turn into an hour. We simply do not want to leave unattended children or pets in unattended vehicles. Period.”
Leaving a window cracked open in a car is not enough to protect kids, according to the CDC.
Temperatures inside a car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window left open.
Children who are left unattended in parked cars are at the greatest risk for heat stroke and possibly death, the agency said.
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