Gas Can Mom Says Kid Jumped Out of Seat When He Spotted Cop

The gas can mom who was at the center of a controversy this week when an image of her blurred-out baby seated in a car without a child restraint seat, next to a gas can securely fastened in the seat, has spoken out about the incident.

You’ve probably seen the gas can mom’s pic by now- posted to Facebook by the Aurora, Colorado police, the image shows the little boy seemingly clad only in a diaper, strapped without a car seat. In and of itself, the violation would be jarring (and I say this as a free-range parent, myself), but it’s clear from the pic that the situation was unnecessary.

Because right next to the kid is a purple car seat, and in it, a gas can- strapped in like one would secure a child, while the actual child sits beside it, unsecured. Also in the car was the woman’s 14-year-old son.

To be fair to gas can mom, the chances of an accident in any one drive are slim, but the reason car seats are mandatory is due to the high risk to small humans when a car hits something or is hit. But gas can mom has provided an explanation for the pic, albeit a somewhat shaky one.

Gas can mom Sandra Ramirez explains that her wily tot is responsible for the whole drama, saying he escaped his seat and apparently strapped in the gas can while she was busy getting pulled over:

“My son was in a seat belt as I (was) getting pulled over… He’s a very smart guy. He can unbuckle his seat belt. He jumped into the backseat on the other side and put on his ‘big boy’ seat belt.”

The gas can mom is set to appear in court on June 29th.