4-year-old girl dies after being forgotten in truck on a hot day, Texas cops say
A 4-year-old girl died after being forgotten in the back of a hot vehicle, Texas police told news outlets.
Emergency responders were called to a Houston apartment complex at about 6:30 p.m. July 3 about a child left in a car who had a heat-related illness, KPRC reported, citing police.
Authorities said they believe the girl was left unattended in a pickup for about an hour before 911 was called, KTRK reported.
Reports show external temperatures in Houston that day reached 93 degrees. Interior temperatures likely would have been higher.
The child was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, the Houston Police Department said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Police said it appeared the child was forgotten in the backseat as the two women and other children she was with unloaded the truck and went inside, KTRK and KRIV reported.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
No charges have been filed in connection with the child’s death, news outlets reported.
The Hot Car Calculator can be used to gauge how hot the interior of a vehicle may get based on location, weather conditions and car features.
What to know about hot car deaths
More than 950 children have died in hot cars since 1998, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“About 40 children a year die from heatstroke, either because they were left or became trapped in a car,” officials said. “That’s about one child every 10 days killed in a hot car.”
Hot car deaths are most common in the summer, but they can happen at any time, according to the administration. The first “vehicular heatstroke” of the year typically happens in March.
“Leaving a window open is not enough - temperatures inside the car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
If you see a child alone in a vehicle, officials said you should make sure the child is responsive and if not, immediately call 911.
This story was originally published July 5, 2024 at 2:44 PM with the headline "4-year-old girl dies after being forgotten in truck on a hot day, Texas cops say."
