A three-month-old baby died after he was left in his parents’ car ‘for several hours,’ in Pennsylvania, while temperatures reached above 90F (32C).
Gatekeepers News reports that authorities were called to a minivan in Upper Saint Clair at 5pm on Thursday, June 16, where they found an unresponsive baby.
Efforts to save the child’s life failed and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to officials.
The infant was later identified as Kayden Nguyen by the Medical Examiner’s Office.
On Thursday the highest temperature recorded in Upper Saint Clair was 92F (33C), according to the National Weather Service.
The incident is under investigation, the police statement said: ‘Upper Saint Clair police determined the infant was left inside a parent’s vehicle for several hours and requested homicide detectives.’
The baby was the fifth child to die in a hot car this year in the United States, according to KidsAndCars.org, and on average, 38 children a year die in hot cars.
The Centers for Disease Control say that it is never safe to leave children unattended in a car in any weather, even with the window cracked open.
To remember that a child is in the car, they recommend keeping a stuffed animal in the child’s car seat on days when they’re not, and moving the stuffed animal to the front passenger seat when the child is there as a reminder.
Other suggestions include placing purses or bags in the backseat by the child, or even one shoe so parents are assured to check before leaving the car.
