A toddler has died in hot car in Smithtown, New York, leaving behind a heartbroken family. Chyasia Evans was just 14 months old. Her unidentified grandmother, 54, was supposed to take her to day care in the morning but went to work without dropping her off.
The child was strapped in the back seat of her family's SUV when her grandmother went to work on Monday, according to NBC New York. When she returned to the car at 4:20 that afternoon, eight hours later, she discovered Chyasia unresponsive. Panic set it, but sadly, it was too late. The little girl was gone.
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The family said the day care center never informed anyone that Chyasia hadn't been dropped off that day.
The toddler's aunt told NBC New York that the day care was suppose to contact the family if a child wasn't present without prior notification. The day care reportedly did not let anyone know that Chyasia wasn't there. Had the family known earlier that the toddler did not arrive when she was supposed to, the outcome might have been different.
Chyasia was taken to St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown, where she was pronounced dead.
According to NBC New York, temperatures reached 83 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday. Temperatures in closed vehicles can rise quickly.
Watkins remembered seeing her daughter that morning before she left with her grandmother.
A teary Watkins told NBC New York that her daughter looked cute that morning, just like she always did.
"I got out of the car. I jumped to the back seat, I gave her a kiss, and I told her, 'I love you, princess,'" her mother shared.
Tragically, Watkins never saw Chyasia alive again. Her mother clutched an Elmo stuffed animal. A photo on a GoFundMe account shows Chyasia and her mom celebrating what seems to be a birthday with Elmo, seemingly one of her favorites.
The toddler's death caused a tremendous amount of grief for her mother.
A visibly shaken Watkins spoke to 4 New York and said she knew her baby would always look out for her.
"I know you're going to be my guardian angel," Watkins cried. "And I love you until we meet again, baby."
Tanya Simmons also shared photos of Chyaisa with the caption, "My ChaCha Butt Butt is Gone… I'm so Heartbroken Sleep Easy My Guardian Angel I Love you forever."
No charges were filed and the death is under investigation.
Watkins' best friend set up a GoFundMe account to help with final expenses.
Derrick Rountree said he is Watkins' best friend and Chyasia's godfather. He created the fundraising page with her permission to help defray the cost of Chyasia's funeral. It ahs raised a little more than $3,000 thus far.
"Whatever you do big or small in any way possible will be greatly appreciated. And we also ask that you keep US ALL IN YOUR PRAYERS as we all try to process this profound loss," he wrote on the page. "And as I know more details as to when and where, I will keep everyone updated. On behalf of Jessica and myself THANK YOU ALL IN ADVANCE. Be Blessed."
"my heart goes out to Jessica and her family, the baby was such a beautiful little soul, I won't forget how she was running around the house and laughing last week," one donor wrote.
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Children die each year due to being left in a hot car.
Tragically, we see too many hot car deaths in the United States annually, which some say are preventable. According to Kids and Care Safety, numbers have decreased tremendously from 2018, when 54 deaths occurred, to 36 in 2022. But even one child is too many.
"Kids and Car Safety believes the solution to these preventable tragedies is a combination of education and technology. Kids and Car Safety would like all vehicles to come equipped with a system that would detect occupants and alert a driver if a child has been left in the vehicle," the organization recommends. "After more than 1,000 deaths and 15 years of advocating for a federal safety standard to protect children and prevent hot car deaths, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which includes a mandate for action by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) aimed at preventing hot car tragedies."
