Tot, 2, dies in second hot car tragedy in a week while in the care of babysitter
Police and health experts are urging people about the dangers of leaving children in hot cars after two toddlers died in one county within a week as temperatures soared
Police are investigating the death of a 2-year-old child who they say was left inside a vehicle at a home in Hallandale Beach, Florida(Image: WSVN)
A toddler has died in a hot car while in the care of a babysitter, police have said. An investigation is currently underway after the two-year-old was left unattended over the scorching Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Tragedy struck in Hallandale Beach, Florida. According to the Hallandale Beach Police Department, officers responded to a local hospital around 1.35pm local time on Sunday (July 5) after reports the child was left in the ca r in the 900 block of Northwest 7th Avenue.
The toddler was rushed to hospital and was later pronounced dead, reports CBS News. It is the second time in less than a week that a child has died in the Broward County area in hot cars. According to police, the toddler’s mother had to go to work, and the child was picked up by a babysitte r and brought to that house, where the babysitter lives.
“The babysitter was responsible for the child and that’s where the babysitter lives,” said Police Chief of Staff Grace Mariot.
With temperatures reaching the 90s on Sunday, police say the child was rushed to the hospital but it was too late. Nearby resident Sheryl Orr expressed her shock and sadness, saying, “It’s terrible. Horrible. But I didn’t know there was any babysitting going on.”
Investigators said the case remains active and is still in its early stages. Hallandale Beach police are working with the state attorney’s office to determine if any charges will be filed.
This marks the second such tragedy in a week. Last Monday, a toddler was found deceased in an SUV outside a Plantation daycare, after the child’s father realised at the end of the day that he had never dropped his son off at the facility.
First responders raced to A World of Discovery Academy on Northwest 4th Street around 5.40pm on June 29 after the child was located.
“Unfortunately, the dad arrived to pick up his child. And when he arrived in the parking lot, he realised he forgot the child. He never dropped off the child at the school. He just went straight from home to his work. And, unfortunately, when he arrived at school, he realised the situation,” World of Discovery Academy owner Leslie Novoa told CBS News Miami.
According to the nonprofit Kids and Car Safety, the first hot car death in Florida this year occurred in Winter Haven on March 31, followed by a second in Riverview on June 20.
In the wake of the tragedies, police are urging parents and caretakers to be extra mindful, especially during extreme heat – when a child is a passenger in their car.
“I know sometimes we are absent-minded, focused on other things, but make sure you put something valuable in the back seat to remind you to check before you leave the car,” said Mariot.
