It may officially be fall, but that doesn't mean we're out of the danger zone for kids left in hot cars. Over the weekend, two Florida children died in separate incidents after being left alone in hot vehicles, and their deaths are a heartbreaking reminder to always double- and triple-check that your kids are out of the car.
The first incident happened in Orlando, where a 4-year-old boy was found unconscious in a black SUV in the parking lot of Elite Preparatory Academy.
The boy was taken to a nearby fire station and then to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. That day, it was 92 degrees outside with a heat index of 201 degrees. Police told WESH it was obvious the boy had been alone in the vehicle for quite some time, but so far no charges have been filed and police say they believe the boy's death was accidental.
Just two hours after the 4-year-old was found, police in Sanford, Florida, were called about an unconscious 1-year-old at a gas station.
The little girl, identified as Kit Noelle Pollard, was ultimately pronounced dead after being found in a locked car at a Wawa gas station. The girl's mother, 29-year-old Kailyn Pollard, reportedly forgot to drop her daughter off at daycare that morning, so the little girl was in the hot car in 92-degree weather for more than seven hours. But, according to WESH, the mom claimed she didn't notice the girl until she stopped at a gas station after work. Pollard was arrested and charged with negligent manslaughter.
These two deaths mark the 47th and 48th children to die after being left in hot cars in 2018, according to the nonprofit organization Kids and Cars.
Kids and Cars notes that the interior temperature of a car can reach 125 degrees in a matter of minutes, and the majority of the temperature increase happens in the first 10 minutes, so forgetting or leaving a child for even a few minutes can be deadly.
Sadly, despite increased awareness of the problem, the number of kids who die in hot cars each year has continued to rise.
Thus far, 2018 is among the deadliest years on record, and Kids and Cars warns that parents need to understand this can happen to anyone. "It is all too easy for a loving, doting caregiver to inadvertently leave a child behind. Their minds are fatigued and stressed. And because of a catastrophic but common failure, the brain’s 'habit' memory overrides the 'prospective' memory. They innocently forget," the organization's website explains.
To prevent deaths, Kids and Cars says caregivers should make a habit of checking the back seat every single time they exit the vehicle, even on cooler days or if they think they're 100 percent sure they dropped the kids at daycare. The organization also warns parents to always lock their vehicles and keep keys out of reach so kids can't climb into the car without their parents' knowledge and get stuck.
