72-Year-Old & His Dog Die In Hot Car After Power Locks Malfunction
A Texas man and his dog both died while stuck inside his 2007 Corvette earlier this week after the power locks malfunctioned and the driver was apparently unable to find the manual release.
KBMT-TV reports that the 72-year-old had just finished eating at Waffle House when he went out to his car.
The vehicle’s battery cable had somehow come loose, making the Corvette’s power lock system inoperable. Making matters worse, the driver could not call for help as he had left his phone inside the restaurant.
Eventually, Waffle House employees noticed the problem and contacted another regular customer who runs a roadside assistance company, hoping he’d be able to help.
“I went back to the vehicle and as soon as I saw it I knew I wasn’t getting into it,” he tells KBMT. “I tried, but didn’t make it.”
Firefighters called to the scene eventually smashed the glass to get to the driver and his dog, but it was too late.
The Corvette does have a manual release located on the floor next to the seat. The driver may have been trying to find this information in the owner’s manual [PDF] but was unsuccessful.
This tragic story should be a reminder for everyone to be mindful of where the manual release switches and levers are on their cars so that they don’t end up locked inside a vehicle if the battery dies.
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