An infant died after his mother left him in her hot car in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, on Wednesday, authorities say. She was jailed as she faces criminal charges.
The mother called police after realizing she left her 2-month-old son in his car seat all day while she was at work, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday.
“This is probably everybody’s worst nightmare,” Lt. Col. Delbert Myrick said.
The 42-year-old mother went to work at 9 a.m. Wednesday, court documents say. When she left work at 5, she discovered her son in her car. She rushed the baby into her workplace and immediately called police.
Police responded to Lafayette Boulevard, found the baby unresponsive and a fire and EMS crew arrived. The crew got the baby into an ambulance and rushed him to Mary Washington Hospital, creating a kind of motorcade; sheriff’s deputies blocked off every road along the path so the baby could get emergency care as quickly as possible.
But it was too late. By the time the baby got to the emergency room, his body temperature was still 107°, court documents say.
So far this year, five children have died in hot cars in the U.S., Amber Rollins, executive director of the organization Kids and Car Safety said. Three of the deaths occurred within a 24-hour period this week.
Rollins said Virginia is the latest site of the same tragedy that’s struck Alabama, California, Florida and Tennessee.
Her organization is pushing lawmakers to mandate stricter car safety regulations. In the meantime, she said anyone can protect their precious cargo with something simple as a stuffed animal.
How to prevent hot car tragedies
Rollins recommends giving yourself a visual cue that your child is in the car.
“Grab a stuffie, throw it in the back seat of your car. Anytime you buckle the baby into the car seat, you grab the stuffie and bring it up front and put it in your lap as a physical reminder that your child is with you. And then when you go to get them out, you put the stuffy in the back seat so it lives there, and you never have to go looking for it,” she said.
Kids and Car Safety also says to:
- Open the back door every time you park to make sure no one is still inside
- Keep an item you need, such as your bag or your work badge, in the back seat so you always check
- Ask your child care provider to call you right away if your child has not arrived as expected
- Communicate clearly about who is dropping off a child or getting them out of the car
- If you see a child alone in a car, get involved and call 911
A criminal investigation into the baby’s death is underway. The sheriff’s office did not release the mother’s name but investigators said they turned over evidence to the commonwealth’s attorney, who charged her with child abuse and child endangerment, both felonies.
“I think intent is the biggest question – whether there was intent, or without intent,” Myrick said.
First responders told News4 the mother and the child’s father both appeared devastated on the scene. The mother remained in custody on Thursday evening.
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