VIRGINIA – A 2-month-old baby died after his mother mistakenly left him in a hot car for nearly eight hours in Spotsylvania County.
Lt. Col. Delbert Myrick described the tragic incident as “everybody’s worst nightmare.”
Recommended Videos
According to court documents, the 42-year-old mother went to work at 9 a.m. and discovered her son in the car when she left at 5 p.m. She then rushed the baby into her workplace and immediately called the police.
When officers arrived, the baby was taken by ambulance to Mary Washington Hospital. Sheriff’s deputies blocked off roads along the route to help the baby receive emergency care as quickly as possible.
But by the time the baby arrived at the emergency room, it was too late. His body temperature was still 107 degrees, according to court documents.
This marks the fifth child to die in a hot car in the United States this year, said Amber Rollins, executive director of Kids and Car Safety.
Rollins offered advice on how to prevent hot car tragedies: “Grab a stuffie, throw it in the back seat of your car. Anytime you buckle the baby into the car seat, you grab the stuffie and bring it up front and put it in your lap as a physical reminder that your child is with you. And then when you go to get them out, you put the stuffie in the back seat so it lives there, and you never have to go looking for it.”
Other tips include:
- Open the back door every time you park to make sure no one is still inside
- Keep an item you need, such as one of your shoes, a bag, or your work badge, in the back seat so you always check
- Ask your child care provider to call you right away if your child has not arrived as expected
- Communicate clearly about who is dropping off a child or getting them out of the car
- If you see a child alone in a car, get involved and call 911