A seven-year-old girl freed herself from a dangerously hot car by smashing a window with a mallet after her grandfather left her inside while he went shopping at a Walmart in Thornton, Colorado. Temperatures inside the vehicle were reported to have reached as high as 150F (around 65C), a level that can cause serious harm or death within minutes, making the child's quick thinking likely lifesaving.

The incident has drawn attention to the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles, particularly during hot weather, when interior temperatures can climb rapidly even on mild days. Full details of the grandfather's actions and any legal consequences were not included in the available report.