4-year-old left in sweltering car after family trip to park dies, Arizona cops say
A 4-year-old girl died after she was left in a hot car following a trip to a park with her family, Arizona deputies say.
The girl returned to her Buckeye home, where temperatures were expected to reach 109 degrees, with her family after about 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8, the Buckeye Police Department said in a Facebook post.
When the family realized the girl was not inside the home hours later, they began looking for her, police said.
Family soon found her unresponsive in a hot car, police said, adding that they believe the girl was not inside the home for about two hours.
Police said they got a call about the girl shortly before 5 p.m.
Officers tried to revive the girl, then medics arrived at the home and took her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to police.
Police said an investigation is ongoing.
Buckeye is about a 35-mile drive west from Phoenix.
Hot car deaths
More than 950 children have died in hot cars since 1998, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“About 40 children a year die from heatstroke, either because they were left or became trapped in a car,” officials said. “That’s about one child every 10 days killed in a hot car.”
Hot car deaths are most common in the summer, but they can happen at any time, according to the administration. The first “vehicular heatstroke” of the year typically happens in March.
“Leaving a window open is not enough - temperatures inside the car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
If you see a child alone in a vehicle, officials said you should make sure the child is responsive and if not, immediately call 911.
This story was originally published September 9, 2024 at 8:35 AM with the headline "4-year-old left in sweltering car after family trip to park dies, Arizona cops say."
