Child Dies Trapped in Car Window in Virginia

There's a growing awareness of the danger of leaving children in a hot car, but a new tragedy in Chesterfield County may be a wake-up call for parents on another threat: power windows.

After leaving her car unattended for a few minutes late Tuesday, a mother returned to find that her 2-year-old daughter had died when her head and neck became trapped in the car window.

Mikayla “Twinkle” Thurston of Richmond was pronounced dead at VCU Medical Center, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch. 

CBS6 reports that witnesses heard the mother screaming as she tried to revive the little girl. There have not been any charges filed in the death, according to both media outlets.

Deaths of children trapped in windows is rare — only 1 in 2010, compared with 49 heat-related deaths, according to safety site KidsandCars.org, which tracks nontraffic child fatalities.

But injuries are more common. A 2007 study by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated 2,000 people are treated each year for injuries related to power windows, and that half of those are children, according to Kids and Cars.