Toddler Dies After He's Left In Hot Car In Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MD — A toddler is dead after police said he was left inside a hot car in Baltimore.

According to Baltimore police, officers were called to the 6200 block of Greenspring Avenue around 1:40 p.m. Thursday for a report of an unconscious child.

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When officers arrived, they found an unresponsive 1-year-old boy. Medics attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful, and the child was pronounced dead at the scene.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the toddler was left in the vehicle before one of his parents found him.

The boy's body was taken to the Medical Examiner's office to determine the official cause of death.

The child was at least the 13th to die in a hot car nationwide this year, according to advocacy organization Kids and Car Safety.

At least 1,185 children have died in hot cars nationwide since 1990, and at least another 7,500 survived with varying types and severities of injuries, according to data.

Approximately 86% of children who die in hot cars are age 3 or younger, and the majority (54%) were unknowingly left by an otherwise loving, responsible parent or caregiver.

To make sure your child is never left alone in a car, Kids and Car Safety offers the following tips:

• Place the child’s diaper bag or item in the front passenger seat as a visual cue that the child is with you.
• Make it a habit of opening the back door every time you park to ensure no one is left behind. To enforce this habit, place an item that you can’t start your day without in the back seat (employee badge, laptop, phone, handbag, etc.)
• Ask your childcare provider to call you right away if your child hasn’t arrived as scheduled.
• Clearly announce and confirm who is getting each child out of the vehicle. Miscommunication can lead to thinking someone else removed the child.