The worst thing that could happen to a car owner is having their vehicle stolen. But it becomes horrifying if they left a child inside and they’re nowhere to be found. Well, that was almost the case for a UK mum after her car got stolen during a school run.
According to Greater Manchester Police (GMP), a mother in the UK almost lost her one-year-old child, sitting at the back of her car when it was stolen. The mom, in her 30s, had her car keys snatched from her hands by carjackers as she dropped the toddler’s siblings off at a school in Oldham on Tuesday morning.
Fortunately, she was able to rescue her one-year-old, who was seated at the back, before the car thieves sped off in her car. The child was uninjured in the event.
According to the local police report, the carjackers drove off towards Belgrave Road, turning left onto Scottsfield Road in the Alexandra region of Oldham. A 15-year-old was arrested for suspicion of being involved in the early morning robbery. Officers on patrol sighted the vehicle and gave chase. Two males eventually fled the car.
It’s not the first time something like this is happening in Manchester. In 2021, a young mum was attacked at knife-point as she scrambled to save her toddler. The 21-year-old mum was dragged out of her vehicle with her two-year-old son in the back. According to the local authorities, the mother and her boyfriend were in the area to sell a pair of sunglasses. It turns out it was all a calculated ploy to steal her car. Fortunately, the toddler was uninjured in the incident.
In another incident last month, a lady in Adelaide, Australia, wasn’t so lucky after her white Mazda SUV was stolen while she stopped briefly at a local business. The thief drove off with her baby sleeping in the back seat. The vehicle was recovered 20 minutes later by local police with the one-year-old safe in the back seat. Her phone, car, and house keys were missing.
Greater Manchester Chief Inspector Abi Cronin lauded the quick action from the police officers. He promised not to quit the search until the culprits were brought to book, BBC News reported. The police are supporting the children’s mother after the traumatizing incident.
The quick reaction from the mother saved the child from the attackers – a lot could go wrong when panicked carjackers take off with a child in a car, worse if authorities are pursuing them.
A rule of thumb is to always make sure minors aren’t left unattended in parked vehicles. Rising cases of car theft could turn your kids into victims of violent carjackings. We are glad no one was hurt in this incident and that the vehicle was recovered without damage.