Baby Dies in Hot Car Seat After Being Left Unattended in the Heat
As reported by The State Newspaper, a nine-month-old baby died yesterday after being left unattended in a rear facing car seat. According to reports, the father dropped the mother off at work Sunday morning and left the child strapped in the car seat when he returned home.
Richland County coroner Gary Watts told The State Newspaper that an autopsy conducted on the child revealed that he died from complications of acute hyperthermia.
Keeping Your Children Safe in and Around Cars
While some may be quick to judge the father in this tragic situation, as reported in Fatal Distraction, this type of preventable tragedy can happen to any one of us. We are all human and there are numerous reports from loving, involved, respected parents and community leaders who can attest to how an ordinary day can end in tragedy.
Even the slightest change to your routine, an unexpected distraction, a child sleeping peacefully in a rear facing car seat, or mental and physical exhaustion can result in leaving your child unattended in a car. Everyone knows that you should never leave your child alone in or around a car, even for a second.
In the midst of a heat advisory, we want to warn all parents and caregivers to take extra precautions to prevent leaving a child in a car.
With the intent to promote awareness and the hope to avoid a preventable tragedy, we offer the following safety tips from KidsAndCars.org:
- Put something like your cell phone, purse, or employee id on the floor board in the backseat so that you have to retrieve it before getting out.
- Get into the habit of opening the back door of your vehicle every time you reach your destination to make sure that no child has been left behind.
- Keep a large stuffed animal in the child’s car seat when it is not occupied. When the child is in the car seat, place the stuffed animal in the front seat so that you have a visual reminder that the child is in the back seat.
- Make arrangements with your child’s babysitter or day care center to call if your child does not show up.
- Be active in your community: if you see a child alone in a car, GET INVOLVED. If a child in a car appears hot or sick, get them out as quickly as possible. Call 911 immediately.
For more information about keeping your children safe in and around your automobile, visit KidsAndCars.org.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.
The Strom Law Firm, LLC has partnered with KidsAndCars.org to promote awareness and help prevent injuries to children in and around cars. If you need legal advice, we recommend that you seek the advice of a licensed attorney. If you have any questions about this blog and/or need to talk with an attorney, contact us today for a free, no cost consultation to discuss your legal rights. 803.252.4800. At Strom Law Firm, L.L.C., our South Carolina attorneys provide comprehensive legal services designed to protect your rights and your interests. Our lawyers are licensed in South Carolina, New York, and Georgia.
