Father drove 140 km before realizing he had left his 10-year-old son at a gas station
A 10-year-old boy was left alone at a gas station in western Spain after his father continued driving without noticing that he had not returned to the car. The boy's 7-year-old brother and a friend of the father were also in the vehicle, but none of them noticed his absence. The police launched an operation to locate the car and found it only about two and a half hours later.
A short stop at a gas station turned into an unusual incident in Spain after a father forgot his 10-year-old son at the site and continued driving. The incident occurred on Sunday around 20:30 at a service station on the A-66 highway, near the town of Aldea del Cano in the province of Cáceres.
The boy was traveling in the car with his father, his 7-year-old brother, and a friend of the father. During the stop, he got out of the vehicle, but when it was time to continue the journey, none of the other three passengers noticed that the boy had not returned to his seat. Security cameras confirmed that the boy got out of the car and did not return to it before his family members continued driving.
After it became clear that he was alone at the station, the Spanish Civil Guard was called, and the officers took him into their care while they tried to locate his family members. The officers discovered that the vehicle was traveling north and launched an operation to locate it along the highway.
Only around 23:00, about two and a half hours after the boy was left at the station, were they able to stop the car in the Hervás area — about 140 km from the place where he was forgotten. Only then did the father and the other passengers begin the journey back to pick up the boy.
According to the authorities, he was safe and sound and did not require medical treatment. It was not reported that the father was arrested or charged with an offense. The Civil Guard used the case to remind parents to check that all passengers, especially children, have returned to the vehicle before continuing the journey: a simple check can prevent great panic.
