The number of children who have died of pediatric vehicular heatstroke has gone up, with two deaths reported this week, according Kids and Car Safety.
Five of the nine deaths reported this year have happened in June, including an 18-month-old boy in Ormond Beach.
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The most recent deaths were reported in Ohio when a 5-year-old boy was unknowingly left in a vehicle, and in Georgia, when a 4-year-boy gained access to a vehicle.
“In over half of hot car deaths, the person responsible for the child unknowingly left them in the vehicle. In most situations, this happens to loving, caring, and protective parents,” Kids and Car Safety said.
“It has happened to a teacher, dentist, social worker, police officer, nurse, clergyman, soldier, and even a rocket scientist. It can happen to anyone.”
9 children have died in hot cars so far this year
Reported deaths this year have been reported in the following states, according to data compiled by Kids and Car Safety:
Florida father charged after 18-month-old boy dies alone in truck
An 18-month-old boy had been dead for at least an hour by the time he was taken to a hospital after his father left him in a truck, got a haircut, and then drank beer and shots at a bar, according to a charging affidavit.
Scott Allen Gardner, 33, of Ormond Beach, was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing great bodily harm.
➤ Boy lay dead in hot car for at least an hour before dad called 911
Gardner left his son, Sebastian, in a child seat in the back of his vehicle for about three hours in the middle of the day on June 6 when the temperature was about 90 degrees, according to a charging affidavit.
“I don’t think there’s a penalty on this earth that could ever fit for the crime that was committed here. It absolutely shocks the conscience,” said Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
In 2024, 41 children died in hot cars, 4 in Florida
In 2024, 41 children died in hot cars. Ages ranged from one month to 8 years, according to Kids and Car Safety.
Since 1990, at least 1,131 children have died in hot cars in the United States and at least another 7,500 survived with varying degrees of injury according to data compiled by Kids and Car Safety.
The Florida deaths in 2024 were in:
Hot car deaths ‘100% preventable.’ How to prevent deaths of children in vehicles
Kids and Car Safety provided these suggestions to prevent children from being forgotten and dying of pediatric vehicular heatstroke:
Make sure children cannot get into a parked car
Heat death can happen fast inside a vehicle and cracking a window doesn’t help
On a 72-degree day, a car’s interior can be deadly in less than 30 minutes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
The danger from high temperatures is particularly acute for young children because their bodies heat up three to five times faster than adult bodies, the American Academy of Pediatrics said.
Heatstroke in children can happen when their core temperature reaches about 104 degrees. A child can die if their internal body temperature reaches 107 degrees, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Leaving a window open is not enough. Temperatures inside the car can rise almost 20 degrees within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Signs of heatstroke in children
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, signs of heatstroke that require immediate medical attention include:
“Before severe heatstroke, children in hot cars suffer from heat illness symptoms, including weakness, dizziness, nausea, feeling faint, headache and an increased body temperature.”
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This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Number of ‘hot car deaths’ jumps to 9, including 1 in Florida. How can we prevent these tragedies?
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
