On a scorching June 8 in Dearborn, what could have turned into a tragedy instead became a frantic rescue. Police officers smashed a car window and pulled a 1-month-old infant to safety after the baby was accidentally locked inside a vehicle outside an Amoco gas station.
The baby’s mother and a gas-station clerk flagged down officers as temperatures climbed during a regional heat surge. Responding officers quickly forced their way into the vehicle and, as soon as the door opened, they heard the infant cry.
Bodycam footage captures tense rescue
Body-worn camera video, obtained by WXYZ, shows officers initially waiting for a tow truck before deciding they were out of time. They switched tactics, used a lock-out tool to break the glass, then opened the car door to reach the child.
Reporting by WXYZ identifies the gas-station clerk as Abe Nahshal, who says he helped the mother call for help while officers moved fast to free the infant.
'Minutes' can be deadly, officials warn
"Our officers responded. They quickly assessed the scene. They determined immediately this was a dangerous situation," Dearborn Police Cpl. Dan Bartok told WXYZ.
A Livonia emergency-medicine physician quoted by the station warned that cars "can be devastating within minutes," and pointed out that infants cannot regulate their body temperature the way adults can, which leaves them especially exposed in a sealed, heating vehicle.
National tracking underlines the risk
The national tracker NoHeatStroke lists more than 1,000 pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths since 1998 and recorded eight such deaths in 2026 as of June 22.
Federal safety officials say interior temperatures can climb rapidly. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warns never to leave a child unattended in a vehicle, and the CDC notes that infants and young children are especially vulnerable to heat-related illness.
Simple steps that help prevent tragedy
Safety groups say small, repeatable habits can make all the difference. Parents and caregivers are urged to "look before you lock," place a phone or personal item in the back seat, or use a rear-seat reminder to cut the risk of forgetting a child, according to KidsAndCars.
If you see a child or pet alone in a hot car, call 911 immediately and, if it is safe to do so, get help from bystanders to gain entry while waiting for emergency responders.
