>>> WELCOME BACK. THEY ARE HEARTBREAKING AND
PREVENTABLE TRAGEDIES.
PREVENTABLE TRAGEDIES. CHILDREN LEFT IN HOT CARS.
THIS MORNING, ANOTHER STORY
RELEASED ABOUT AN ARIZONA MOTHER
ARRESTED FOR LEAVING HER
5-MONTH-OLD IN A CAR FOR NEARLY
AN HOUR.
AN HOUR. >> THANKFULLY, THAT CHILD
SURVIVED.
SURVIVED. SO FAR THIS YEAR, ACROSS THE
COUNTRY, 35 CHILDREN HAVE DIED
IN HOT CARS ACCORDING TO THE
NONPROFIT KIDS IN CARS.ORG.
>> THIS MORNING, WE’RE GOING
BEHIND THE HEADLINE WITH ONE
COUPLE ON A MISSION, INSPIRED BY
THEIR OWN UNTHINKABLE LOSS.
>> OH!
>> OH! HELLO MY LITTLE MAN.
>> Reporter: IN MARCH 2008,
MILES AND CAROL HARRISON BECAME
PROUD PARENTS.
PROUD PARENTS. >> CHASE WAS ABOUT A YEAR AND A
HALF WHEN WE ADOPTED HIM FROM
RUSSIA.
RUSSIA. HE WAS A WONDERFUL LITTLE BOY.
>> I REMEMBER THESE BRILLIANT
BLUE EYES.
BLUE EYES. >> Reporter: THAT JULY, CHASE
WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO DAY CARE,
AND IT WAS MILES’ TURN TO DROP
HIM OFF BEFORE HEADING TO THE
OFFICE.
OFFICE. >> I WAS ALL SORTS OF THICKNGS
GOING ON AT WORK.
I’M DROPPING CHASE OFF, WHICH IS
A NEW THING FOR ME.
>> Reporter: MILES SAYS HE WAS
ON AUTOPILOT WHEN HE BYPASSED
THE DAY CARE AND DROVE TO WORK.
>> I GO INTO MY OFFICE, AND I
WORK A COMPLETE DAY.
ABOUT 5:00, A COLLEAGUE OF MINE
COMES UP TO MY OFFICE AND SAYS,
HEY, DO YOU HAVE A DOLL IN YOUR
CAR?
CAR? I JUST THEN REALIZED.
OH, MY GOD.
I PULL OPEN THE CAR DOOR, AND I
SEE --
SEE -- >> Reporter: WHILE PARAMEDICS
ATTEMPTED TO SAVE CHASE, MILES
CALLED CAROL.
CALLED CAROL. >> HE JUST SAID, I FORGOT CHASE.
I’M LIKE, WHAT?
>> Reporter: CHASE DIED IN THE
BACKSEAT OF HIS FATHER’S SUV
THAT DAY.
THAT DAY. MILES WAS CHARGED WITH
INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER AND
FOUND NOT GUILTY.
>> I WAS GUILTY OF MAKING A
TERRIBLE MISTAKE, ONE THAT I
HAVE NOT YET FORGIVENESS MYSELF
FOR.
FOR. >> Reporter: TODAY, THE
HARRISONS SHARE THEIR STORY.
>> IMPLEMENT SOME SORT OF A CAR
WARNING SYSTEM.
WARNING SYSTEM. >> Reporter: WHILE FIGHTING FOR
THE HOT CARS ACT OF 2019,
LEGISLATION THAT MAY HELP SAVE
THE LIVES OF CHILDREN LEFT ALONE
IN VEHICLES.
IN VEHICLES. >> MILES AND CAROL HARRISON ARE
HERE THIS MORNING.
THIS STORY BRINGS US ALL TO
TEARS.
TEARS. FIRST, I NEED TO ASK, WHAT KIND
OF BOY WAS YOUR SON?
>> HE WAS WONDERFUL.
AS WE SAID IN THE CLIP, HE WAS
ADOPTED FROM RUSSIA.
WE BROUGHT HIM HOME.
FROM THE MINUTE HE CAME HOME, HE
WAS HAPPY, WHICH WAS A LITTLE
UNUSUAL FOR A KID FROM AN
ORPHANAGE.
ORPHANAGE. HE HAD A WONDERFUL SMILE, AS YOU
CAN SEE.
CAN SEE. HE JUST OPENED UP TO US
IMMEDIATELY.
IMMEDIATELY. HUGS AND, YOU KNOW, HE WAS
LEARNING LIKE CRAZY EVERY DAY.
HE JUST WANTED TO SEE THE NEXT,
YOU KNOW -- THE NEXT DAY, THE
NEXT FUN DAY WITH MOM AND DAD.
IT WAS -- HE WAS A JOY.
>> THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WILL
WATCH THIS AND SAY WRESTLE WITH
IT, RIGHT?
IT, RIGHT? I REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST HEARD
ABOUT THE STORY RECENTLY,
EVERYBODY IMMEDIATELY WAS LIKE,
WHAT KIND OF PARENT WOULD LEAVE
THEIR KID IN THE CAR?
DON’T YOU REMEMBER PUTTING HIM
IN?
IN? DON’T YOU REMEMBER STRAPPING
THEM IN?
THEM IN? HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW?
HOW DO YOU NOT REMEMBER.
WE SEE YOUR GRIEF, SO WE KNOW
YOU WERE CLEARLY ON AUTOPILOT.
WHAT HAPPENED?
WHAT HAPPENED? >> YOU KNOW, I DON’T KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. I AM THE PARENT THAT WOULD SAY,
THIS WOULD NEVER HAPPEN TO YOU.
I’M STILL THOSE PARENTS.
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ANGRY,
FRUSTRATED, DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW
THIS COULD HAPPEN, I AM STILL
THAT PARENT, TOO.
I’M SO ANGRY WITH MYSELF AND SO
ASHAMED AT WHAT I HAD DONE.
>> YOU PUT HIM IN AND THEN
SOMETHING CAME UP AT WORK, SO
YOU BYPASSED THE EXIT AND YOU
WENT INTO WORK MODE?
>> IT WAS A NEW -- KIND OF A NEW
PROCESS FOR US.
YOU KNOW, I HAD A BROKEN ANKLE.
I HAVE A LOT GOING ON AT WORK.
I HAD NEVER REALLY DONE THIS.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.
JUST I WENT TO WORK.
THAT’S ALL I CAN TELL YOU.
I WENT TO WORK.
>> YOU WERE CHARGED WITH
INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER,
INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER, EVENTUALLY FOUND NOT GUILTY.
HAVE YOU FORGIVENESS YOURSELF?
>> NO.
>> NO. NO.
NO. FOR PEOPLE THAT -- I DON’T KNOW
ANYBODY THAT HAS DONE WHAT I
HAVE DONE THAT EVER WILL EVER
REALLY FORGIVE THEMSELVES.
I PERSONALLY DON’T KNOW HOW I’M
GOING TO.
GOING TO. >> BUT YOU GUYS ARE DOING
EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO MAKE SOME
CHANGES.
CHANGES. I MEAN, YOU’VE BEEN WORKING WITH
THIS BILL THAT YOU’RE HOPING
GETS PASSED TO, WHAT, ADD NEW
TECHNOLOGY TO CARS SO THAT -- I
MEAN, THEY BEEP AS IF THEY WOULD
IF THE LIGHT WAS ON IN YOUR CAR.
IT IS AMAZING THEY BEEP FOR A
LIGHT AND NOT FOR A CHILD IN THE
BACKSEAT.
BACKSEAT. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. WE ARE -- BOTH CAROL AND I HAVE
DEDICATED ANY FREE TIME THAT WE
CAN GRAB TO SUPPORTING THE
PASSAGE OF SOMETHING CALLED THE
HOT CAR ACT.
AND THE HOT CAR ACT STIPULATES
THAT THERE MUST BE A WARNING
SYSTEM TO ALERT PARENTS THAT
THERE IS A -- THERE IS A LIVE
CHILD, PET, ADULT, ANYBODY IN
THE BACKSEAT.
THE BACKSEAT. SO IF THE PARENT WOULD LEAVE OR
THE DRIVER WOULD LEAVE THE CAR
AND YOU DON’T GO TO THE
BACKSEAT, THEN THERE WOULD BE AN
ALERT.
ALERT. NOW, THE ONE WE’RE SUPPORTING IS
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
BILL.
BILL. >> BECAUSE THERE ARE TWO
VERSIONS, RIGHT, THE HOUSE AND
THE SENATE?
THE SENATE? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. THERE’S THE HOUSE AND THE
SENATE.
SENATE. THE HOUSE BILL HAS SOMETHING
THAT’S WHAT I’M CALLING A REAL
DETECTION.
DETECTION. IN FACT, CAROL AND I JUST BOUGHT
A NEW CAR.
WE BOUGHT THE CAR LITERALLY
BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT
THE CAR FOR THE FIRST TIME --
>> WITH THE SALESMAN.
>> OUR DAUGHTER GOT INTO THE
BACKSEAT, LIKE YOU WOULD.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> A NEW CAR, IT’S FUN.
>> THE SALESMAN JUST WALKED AWAY
FROM THE CAR FOR TWO FEET.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, THIS HUGE HORN
STARTED GOING OFF.
IT SCARED THE EDD ME.
I THOUGHT SOMEBODY WAS STEALING
A CAR.
A CAR. HE SAID, NO, NO, NO, THAT’S THE
REAR OCCUPANCY ALERT SYSTEM IN
THE CAR.
THE CAR. >> WOW.
>> WOW. >> SO I STARTED CRYING
IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE I WAS NOT
PREPARED FOR THAT.
KIA SOLD A CAR BECAUSE THAT’S
THE REASON I SAID, WE’LL TAKE
IT.
IT. I FELT IT WAS --
>> YOU MENTIONED YOUR DAUGHTER.
YOU HAVE AN 8-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER
TOGETHER NOW.
TOGETHER NOW. >> WE DO.
>> WE DO. >> HOW IS IT NOW?
I MEAN, IS IT ONE OF THOSE
THINGS WHERE IT IS ON YOUR MIND
ALL THE TIME?
SHE’S OKAY, OBVIOUSLY, BUT HOW
IS IT FOR YOU GUYS AS A FAMILY?
>> WELL, IT’S ON MY MIND ALL THE
TIME.
TIME. FROM THE DAY SHE WAS AN INFANT
TO TAKING EXTRA PRECAUTIONS
BECAUSE WE DIDN’T HAVE A CAR
THAT HAD AN ALERT SYSTEM AT THE
TIME.
TIME. TAKING THE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS AND
MAKING SURE THE DAY CARE CALLS,
PUTTING YOUR STUFF IN THE
BACKSEAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR PHONE
OR A SHOE OR SOMETHING, SO
YOU’LL REMEMBER SHE’S THERE.
WE’RE ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT IT.
>> WE KNOW THIS IS SO HARD FOR
YOU TO TALK ABOUT, BUT THANK
YOU.
YOU. THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
HERE. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE HOT
CAR ACT GO TO 3RD HOUR