This Toddler Lived

Peggy O'Hare of the Houston Chronicle on Wrecker driver rescues toddler left inside stolen car:

The consequences could have been deadly for a kidnapped child abandoned in a hot car Friday afternoon, but wrecker driver Don McCoy was in the right place when Echo Rain Rodriguez most needed help.

The 20-month-old girl was strapped in her car seat when a thief swiped the vehicle and drove away with her in southeast Houston about 3 p.m.

After her mother spent a frantic 40 minutes seeking help, McCoy found the child alone in the silver Dodge Stratus — with the windows up and engine off — as he circled a shopping center parking lot on Almeda-Genoa near the Gulf Freeway.

The doors were unlocked. When McCoy yanked one open and asked the sweaty child if he could let her out, the little girl's response was immediate. "Yes, please," she pleaded, her hair wet with perspiration.

Considering all the horrible stories of children dying in cars that seem to proliferate more and more frequently each summer, I wanted to post a toddler in the car story with a happy ending. This tow truck driver has my gratitude and respect for taking the time to ask a simple question. I've no doubt that he saved this little girl's life. He could just have easily driven away on his rounds without a second thought.

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