Authorities said that three children have died recently after being left unattended in cars in Washington, Texas and Florida.
According to Jan Null a Californian meteorologist who tracks these incidents, the deaths brought the total number of children killed in hot cars this year to 6, which is double what it was at this point last year.
The police in Puyallup in Washington, just south of Tacoma were investigating Tuesday the death of an infant who had been left in the car of his foster mother while she worked.
Captain Don Bourbon, of the Puyallup police department, said that the woman found the child about 5 pm on May 24, after approximately 9 hours. Don Bourbon confirmed. He said that she immediately took the baby to the hospital but the child died.
NBC affiliate KING of Seattle said that the vehicle was parkedat MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital, Puyallup.
Bourbon, KING reported, that police have said it was a mistake. The foster mother was distracted enough the morning of the incident to forget about the child.
Bourbon, NBC News: “It is horrifying for not only the family, but also anyone involved in a death of a child.”
Samantha Borth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said that temperatures were in the mid-70s in the area on the 24th of May. Researchers found years ago that a 70 degree day can result in triple digit temperatures inside the car because it acts as a greenhouse.
Police in Houston are investigating the death of 4-year-old boy found with a 2-year old girl in an unlocked car about 4:30 pm on Friday.
The Houston Police Department reported that both children were taken to hospital where the 4-year old was declared dead. It was reported that the 2-year-old would recover.
Police said that an adult discovered the children who were playing outside of their home in the vehicle, with at least one child reported to be unconscious.
Police in Palm Bay, Florida, said that an 11-month old was found unresponsive in a vehicle parked for three hours on Sunday morning after being left unattended.
The department stated that the parents attended church services. It said that the incident was being investigated.
In a statement, Chief Mario Augello stated that “this is a tragic incident.” Our condolences and our prayers are sent to the family.
National Weather Service data shows that the high temperatures for Sunday in the area were near or at 80 degrees.
The U.S. Climate Prediction Center said that there is a higher likelihood than equal chances of experiencing warmer temperatures in most of the country through August.
These areas include those where fatalities occurred in late May: the Pacific Northwest, Texas, and Florida.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, heatstroke in hot cars is the number one cause of death by non-crash vehicles for children younger than 14.
Heatstroke is the most common cause of death for children left in hot vehicles. According to Null’s Stanford study, a vehicle’s temperature could rise by 40 degrees within an hour. Null tracks the deaths of children left in hot cars on his website NoHeatStroke.org.
According to a factsheet distributed by the Transportation Department, heatstroke occurs when a child’s body temperature reaches 104 degrees, and death is reached at 107.
Kids and Car Safety refers to this period of the year as “hot car deaths season”, from late May to the end of summer. The organization says that a change in season can cause a household to adopt new routines, which can confuse and distract parents.
In a Tuesday statement, the organization stated that fatigue and a change in daily routine are two of the main factors in which a child is unknowingly left in a car.
According to the Transportation Department, the number child deaths in hot cars has decreased over the past few years due to the impact of the pandemic on the number people who work from home.
In 2020 and 2021 the number of child deaths from hot cars will be 25 and 23 respectively, which is less than half that for 2019. In total, 33 such deaths were reported last year, according to NoHeatStrokeDeath.org.
Null stated that the numbers are not encouraging, as three deaths were reported at this time last season. Null said that the numbers are not encouraging because at this time last year, three deaths had been reported.
Experts say that the best way to prevent this is by developing routines which always consider children, whether they are at home, abroad, or with their grandparents.
Null suggests placing a teddy on the front seat of the car when there are children in the rear. He also said that drivers should put items like briefcases or bag lunches on the backseat, so they will have to check there when they get to work.
