A toddler tragically lost her life after being left inside a scorching hot car outside a high school in South Carolina. The child’s mother, who works at the school, had forgotten that her daughter was still in the vehicle. The county coroner suspects that the 16-month-old girl died due to the extreme heat, with temperatures inside the car potentially exceeding 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).
According to Berkeley County Coroner Darnell Hartwell, the child’s mother parked her SUV in front of Bishop England High School in Charleston on Friday morning. It wasn’t until eight hours later that a passerby discovered the child in a car seat and immediately called 911. Hartwell emphasized that the child could have survived only minutes inside the sweltering car. An autopsy will be performed on the deceased toddler to determine the exact cause of death. However, the coroner strongly believes that heat played a significant role.
After the incident, the school decided to cancel its Friday night football game and classes on Monday. In an email to families, Bishop England High School President Patrick Finneran requested prayers for the grieving family and the school community during this unimaginably difficult time. Meanwhile, police investigators will be conducting interviews and presenting their findings to the county solicitor’s office.
Leaving a child unattended in a hot car can have devastating consequences. Even on a relatively mild day, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise rapidly, posing a serious risk to a child’s life. Experts recommend several safety measures to avoid these heartbreaking incidents, including placing a reminder in the front seat as a visual cue to check the backseat before leaving the vehicle.