Naples – Tense moments erupted yesterday afternoon on Via Posillipo, where a 16-month-old baby was accidentally locked inside his mother's car. The incident, which attracted the attention of passersby, fortunately ended without any injuries thanks to the timely intervention of a local police patrol.
According to the reconstruction, the child was trapped due to a fault in the vehicle's electrical system, which had activated the locks, leaving the keys in the passenger compartment. The mother, desperate and clearly agitated, immediately called for help.
A patrol from the Soccavo Operations Unit, passing through the area, responded to his request. Realizing the gravity of the situation—the heat inside the car was increasing minute by minute—the officers decided to act without hesitation: with a well-aimed shot, they shattered the left front window and pulled out the child, who appeared distressed but conscious.
The child was immediately returned to his mother, who was still in shock over the incident. The woman, though relieved, chose not to seek medical attention from 118 and offered her emotional thanks to the two officers, whose actions averted the worst.
The latest cases
This isn't the first time this type of incident has occurred in Italy. In recent months, there have been several cases of children being trapped in cars, often due to parental distraction or technical malfunctions.
In Campania, just two weeks ago, in Vairano Scalo, in the province of Caserta, an 18-month- old child was trapped inside a car under the scorching sun.
Only the prompt intervention of the Carabinieri prevented a potential tragedy. A young mother from Marzano Appio had gone to the Vairano Scalo cemetery to visit the deceased. After getting out to open the rear door, where her son was sitting in his car seat, the little boy, playing with the keys and remote control, accidentally activated the central locking.
In July, a two-year-old girl was rescued by firefighters in Rome after becoming trapped in the scorching sun. Similar incidents occurred in Milan and Palermo, with outcomes that highlighted the dangers of such accidents, especially on summer days.
According to experts, it only takes a few minutes for the temperature inside a parked vehicle to rise above 40 degrees Celsius, posing serious health risks to infants and small children. This is why authorities are urging people to never leave minors unattended in cars and to pay close attention to any malfunctions in central locking systems.
