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New Ohio Law Allows Bystanders To Break Into Cars To Save Lives

Wikimedia Commons, David Shankbone

A new Ohio law will give immunity to people who rescue pets and kids from hot cars. Listen to the story here.

Police Captain Jim Coey recently got a report of a dog that had been left inside a car at the local canoe livery in Loudonville in Amish country.

“The dog was starting to get in a bad way. He had crawled up to the front of the car and was down under the brake pedal in the front driver’s side of the car. So we got concerned about that so we went ahead and broke a window out and got the dog out, got him some water. He came around pretty quick. He was pretty hot and pretty distressed at that point.” (:22)

Under this new law, anyone can break the car window and rescue a pet or child who appears to be in distress, as long they alert authorities first and they leave a note for the car’s owner. But this law won’t go into effect until late August, when summer is almost over.

Copyright 2016 The Statehouse News Bureau

Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.