Authorities in Iowa say a man was arrested after a young passenger was able to open the door of a car he was in and fell out onto the pavement.
According to KCRG, 31-year-old Wesley Hendley of Rock Island was allegedly a passenger in the vehicle in Bettendorf when it pulled into the parking lot of a Hy-Vee supermarket at the time of the incident.
When the 2-year-old — identified by WQAD as Hendly’s son — reportedly opened the door and toppled outside, an off-duty police officer was at the scene and contacted emergency personnel who responded a short time later. Reports indicate no one inside the vehicle involved contacted authorities in connection with the incident.
Upon arrival, officers say they found the boy inside the grocery store with injuries including scraped fingers and a bump on the head. He was transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries officials did not believe to be life threatening.
A police statement indicated that the toddler was unsecured in the vehicle and was not wearing a seat belt. Officers reportedly found a child car seat — inside the trunk.
His father was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and an outstanding warrant. Police also issued him a citation for failure to properly restrain the child.
Though Hendley was not driving, he was deemed responsible for the well-being of the child since he was the parent. Police did not issue the driver a citation.
[Featured image: Wesley Hendley, handout]
