22-Month-Old New Jersey Girl Dies After Being Left Inside Locked Hot Car
A 22-month-old girl was found dead after being locked in a hot van parked outside a commuter rail station in Lindenwold, New Jersey.
Authorities responded to a 911 call on Friday which reported a child inside a van at the PATCO Hi-Speed Line, according to reports from CNN, CBS and the New York Post.
They found the girl unresponsive in her car seat and the passenger window broken, authorities told CBS, and the toddler’s family reportedly did not return for another three hours.
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The young girl was pronounced dead at the scene, and an investigation is ongoing. No charges have been filed at this time.
Her death comes less than a month after 1-year-old twins tragically died after they were left in a hot car in New York City all day by their father, who allegedly forgot they were in the vehicle.
Around 37 children under the age of 14 die from being left in a hot car each year, according to NoHeatStroke.org, which studies child vehicular heatstroke deaths.
According to CNN, last year was the deadliest year for child vehicular heatstroke in 20 years. A reported 52 children between 7 weeks and 5 years old died after being left in cars.
Once a car in 80-degree weather is turned off and closed, it will heat up by ten degrees in the first five minutes, according to NoHeatStroke.org. Within an hour, it will be up to 123 degrees.
The New York Post reported that temperatures in the area where the young girl was left on Friday reached the upper 80s.
