Mother cited after toddler removed from baby seat to make room for gas can

Veteran Aurora police and highway officials were stunned by a photo taken during a recent traffic stop, which shows a toddler who is not properly restrained, sitting next to a gas can belted into a baby seat. "This could be one of the extreme incidents we've ever seen,"said Aurora Police spokesman Frank Fania.
The photo was taken during a recent "Click It or Ticket" campaign conducted by the Colorado State Patrol and local law enforcement. The car was stopped May 30 by an officer doing improper turn enforcement near East Iliff Avenue and Tower Road. He found that none of the occupants were using seat belts.

A 14-year-old was also a passenger in the car. The female driver, the mother of the children, was cited for no proof of insurance and three counts of seat belt violations, Fania said. The driver's name was not released.

Under Colorado law, the boy should have been placed in a rear-or-forward facing car seat, said Colorado Department of Transportation spokesman Stacey Stegman. The photo drew wide attention when it was posted on CDOT's Facebook page. "People were pretty outraged," Stegman said. "Besides not wearing seat belts, people were also angry about the gas can. Even if it was empty, people worried the boy was being exposed to toxic fumes."