Car Lockout in St. Louis, MO

Anyone inside comes first

If a child, a pet or anyone who cannot get out is locked in the car, call 911 now and do not wait for a locksmith. A closed car in summer sun grows far hotter than the air outside, and in winter a driver locked out has no shelter at all. Go indoors if you can and keep your phone charged. If someone is inside, give the emergency dispatcher the exact spot: the block, the cross street and the side of the street the car is on. If the engine was left running when the doors locked, check that snow is not piling up around the exhaust.

Locked out on a snow route

In snow or ice, the Street Department's tiered response works in order. Arterial, secondary and hill routes come first, then main school entrances and intersections. Hill routes have a grade of 8 degrees, a 14 percent slope, or more, which the city calls extremely difficult to navigate.

That order is why the street type belongs at the top of your request: whether the car is on an arterial or secondary route, a hill route or a side street decides when plows reach it. On a steep hill route, wait on the sidewalk, well clear of the car and passing traffic.

What to send

• the neighborhood, the block, the nearest cross street and which side of the street the car is on
• whether it is on a snow route, a hill route, a side street, a driveway or in a lot, with the lot's name and level
• the year, make, model and color, and whether the keys are visible inside
• whether the engine is running, and whether anyone or anything is inside
• that you can show photo ID, and whether the registration is in the car

If the key is lost rather than locked inside, you need car key replacement instead. More on car lockout service and the St. Louis page.