Texas: 5-Year-Old Kid Dies After Mom Forgets, Leaves Him in Hot Car for 2-3 Hours

A five-year-old child from Texas experienced a hot car death on Monday after his mother forgot to let him out, making him stay for at least two to three hours inside the hot vehicle.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez noted that their officers responded to a home in the 13700 block of Blair Ln. The five-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Last Monday was reportedly the hottest day of the year in the Houston area with record high temperatures of 102 degrees Fahrenheit, People reported, citing the Weather Channel.

Hot Car Death: Texas Mom Preparing for Daughter's Birthday When Her Son Died

Authorities reported that the child's family had been preparing for a birthday party of their eight-year-old daughter, per KHOU 11.

The two children reportedly went to the store to get things for the party. The preparations prompted the Texas mom, who is not named, to assume that both children were able to get out of the car on their own, according to WSB-TV2

Reports noted that the Texas mom started to look for his five-year-old son two to three hours later. However, she discovered him unresponsive when she went to check on the car, still buckled in his car seat.

The mother told the sheriff that the five-year-old was able to get himself out of the car before. However, Sheriff Gonzales noted that the family was using a rental car that day because their car was being worked on. Gonzales explained the possibility the five-year-old was not familiar with the rental car's locking mechanism.

Gonzales also noted that the rental car the family used did not have any child safety lock turned on.

Harris County Sheriff's Office Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland said that homicide and Child Crimes investigators responded to the scene. However, it was still unclear whether the Texas mother will receive charges in the aftermath of her son's death.

"The case is still open and active, and investigators will meet with the Harris County District Attorney's Office to present their findings of the investigation," Gilliland noted.

Hot Car Death Statistics

The National Safety Council (NSC) reported that there at least five children who experienced a hot car died in 2022. Last year, the total number of children who died after being left inside a hot car was 23.

NSC also noted that, on average, at least 38 children under 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle. The organization also underscored that nearly every state has recorded at least one hot car death since 1998.

Amber Rollins from the non-profit organization Kid and Car Safety said that Texas has the highest number of hot car deaths in the country.

Rollins added that 56% of hot car deaths occur when a child is accidentally left inside a car, and 26% occur when a child gets themselves in and cannot get out on their own.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

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