A 2-year-old child died late last month after they were found unresponsive in a hot vehicle in Kansas, KSNT-TV reports.
The child, whose identity has not been released, was discovered in the vehicle around 3:40 p.m. last Sunday at a home in Scranton, Kansas. Medics attempted to save the child’s life and rushed them to a hospital in Topeka, but they were later pronounced dead at the medical facility.
Investigators do not believe the child was left in the vehicle, but rather it is thought that the child “got into the car,” Osage County Sheriff Chris Wells told the Topeka Capital-Journal.
As of 4 p.m. on the day of the incident, the National Weather Service had recorded a high of 90 degrees with a heat index of 101 degrees in Topeka, about 23 miles from Scranton. The child’s death was at least the 14th hot car death in 2022, according to data from the nonprofit group Kids and Cars Safety.
With heat waves around the world, parents are being advised to think twice about how to ensure their children stay safe.
Experts advise that parents “look before you lock.”
“No matter what, even if the child is not with you, open the back door and check the back seat, every single time you leave the car,” Amber Rollins of Kids and Cars Safety told Good Morning America.
“It takes two seconds,” she added. “And it’s a great way to make sure you’re never forgetting anything, including your children or inanimate objects that aren’t as important but make that a 100 percent habit.”
Rollins also said parents should make sure vehicles are always locked to prevent children from getting inside.
“You want to keep your car locked 100 percent of the time, even if you don’t have children,” Rollins told GMA. “Little ones can get into neighbors’ cars. It happens all the time. You want to keep keys and remote openers out of reach of children 100 percent of the time and childproof your home.”
Visual reminders can help remind parents and drivers of children in the car. Rollins advises keeping a physical object in the front seat, such as a diaper bag.
Additional tips include speaking with kids about the dangers of hot cars and deploying stick-on door alarms.
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