Father Drives 140 km Across Spain Leaving 10-Year-Old Son at Gas Station
The Spanish Civil Guard reunited a family after a father drove over 140 kilometers toward Belgium, unaware his 10-year-old son was left behind at a service station in Cáceres. Authorities ruled the incident an unintentional mistake.
A father traveling from Spain toward Belgium with his two children and a family friend drove for more than 140 kilometers without realizing his 10-year-old son had been left behind at a service station in western Spain. The Spanish Civil Guard located the vehicle and returned the boy to his family. According to authorities, the incident was a completely unintentional mistake.
The incident occurred earlier this week around 20:30 during a refueling stop near Aldea del Cano in the province of Cáceres. The boy got out of the car, but when the other passengers resumed their journey, he did not return to the vehicle. Service station employees noticed the confused and frightened child and alerted the Civil Guard. Employees found him deeply distressed and crying alongside a woman who was trying to comfort him.
Search Along the A-66 Highway
Officers comforted the boy and began tracking down his family. Using security camera footage from the station, they identified the car's license plate. Simultaneously, they launched a search for the vehicle on the A-66 highway, which the father was driving north. Security footage confirmed the boy exited the vehicle during the stop, and his family failed to notice his absence when they departed. Meanwhile, the Civil Guard took the child under their care at the service station.
At approximately 23:00, officers located the car in the Hervás area, still within the Cáceres province, more than 140 kilometers away from the service station. The drive along the A-66 highway between the two locations typically takes about an hour and 20 minutes.
Family Reunion and Police Warning
The father was entirely unaware that his son was not in the vehicle. Only when officers managed to contact him by phone, about two and a half hours after the stop, did he realize what had happened. He turned around and drove back to the service station to collect his son.
At the time, the car carried the father, his 7-year-old son, and a family friend on their way to Belgium. When the father returned to the station, the boy was reunited with his family healthy and unharmed. No legal action was taken against the father, as authorities ruled it an accidental oversight.
The Civil Guard used the incident to issue a safety warning to drivers:
"This case reminds us of the importance of checking, before resuming a journey, that all passengers have returned to the vehicle, especially when traveling with children. A simple check can prevent a major panic."
