Horrible way to die: 23 children, 1 in Florida, have died so far after left in hot vehicles

August 19, 2024

Cheryl McCloud and C. A. Bridges USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida

The numbers keep going up.

At least 23 children have died so far this year after being left inside a vehicle. Three other child fatalities — including one in Florida — are pending autopsy results.

Two of the children, a 1-year-old boy and a 10-month-old girl died the same day, Aug. 13, according to Kids and Car Safety.

That's quite a jump since our last story just over a month ago, when seven children had died as of July 5.

One confirmed fatality occurred in Florida.

2024 hot car deaths in Florida, US

The following hot car deaths for 2024 have been compiled by Kids and Car Safety, an organization formed to eliminate little-known, yet widespread vehicle dangers and to protect children both in and around vehicles.

Richland County, South Carolina
- May 3: 3-year-old girl, gained access to vehicle
Bradenton, Florida
- May 20: 6-year-old girl, knowingly left in vehicle.
Morgantown, West Virgina
- May 22: 3-month-old girl unknowingly left in vehicle.
Santee, California
- June 13: 2-month-old girl unknowingly left in vehicle.
Perry County, Mississippi
- June 25: 3-year-old male. Details unknown at this time.
Charlotte, North Carolina
- June 26: 8-year-old female knowingly left in vehicle.
Marietta, Georgia
- July 2: 2-year-old male. Details unknown at this time.
Houston, Texas
- July 3: 3-year-old female unknowingly left in vehicle.
Little Rock, Arkansas
- July 7: 2-year-old male knowingly left in vehicle.
Marana, Arizona
- July 9: 2-year-old female knowingly left in vehicle.
Omaha, Nebraska
- July 10: 5-year-old male unknowingly left in vehicle.
Fairfield, Illinois
- July 14: 1-year-old male left in vehicle.
Lakewood, New Jersey
- July 15: 2-month-old female unknowingly left in vehicle.
Monticello, New York
- July 15: 2-year-old male left in vehicle.
East Hanover, New Jersey
- July 17: 6-month-old female left in vehicle.
Fitzgerald, Georgia
- July 24: 4-year-old male gained access to vehicle
Milton, Vermont
- July 24: 18-month-old male unknowingly left in vehicle.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- July 30: 6-month-old male unknowingly left in vehicle.
Cordes Lakes, Arizona
- July 30: 6-month-old male unknowingly left in vehicle.
Collegedale, Tennessee
- Aug 12: Female infant unknowingly left in vehicle.
Vicksburg, Michigan
- Aug. 13: 3-year-old male unknowingly left in vehicle.
Lexington, Massachusetts
- Aug. 13: 1-year-old male unknowingly left in vehicle.
Jennings, Louisiana
- Aug. 13: 10-month-old female unknowingly left in vehicle.

More hot car deaths to be determined pending autopsy results

Indialantic, Florida
- June 7: 3-year-old
Washington, D.C.
- June 14: 4-year-old
Perry County, Mississippi
- June 25: 3-year-old

How many children have died in Florida in child heatstroke deaths in vehicles?

Between 1990 and 2023, there have been 118 child hot car deaths in Florida.

Texas leads the nation with 155 deaths over the same time period.

The top 10 states are:

Texas: 155
Florida: 118
California: 65
Arizona: 47
Georgia, North Carolina: 45
Louisiana: 44
Tennessee, Virginia: 38
Alabama: 36

Can parents be charged if they leave a child locked in a car in Florida?

Leaving a child younger than 6 unsupervised in a motor vehicle for more than 15 minutes is a second-degree misdemeanor, according to Florida Statutes.

If the motor is running, the health of the child is in danger or appears to be in distress, the caregiver can be fined from $50 to $500.

Any person who violates the law and in so doing causes great bodily harm, permanent disability, orpermanent disfigurement to a child commits a felony of the third degree.

By the numbers: Hot car child deaths

971: Total pediatric vehicular deaths since 1998
505: The number of children who have died after being forgotten by caregiver between 1998 and 2024
53: Record number of child deaths over a year, in both 2018 and 2019
37: Average number of deaths per year
2: During summer, average number of deaths per week

How hot can inside of a car get and how quickly?

While the majority of these tragedies occur during the summer, deaths have been recorded in every month.

Research has shown that vehicles become dangerously hot quickly, even when the outside temperature is moderate. With an outside ambient air temperature of 72 degrees, the internal vehicle temperature can reach 117 within 60 minutes, with 80% of the temperature increase occurring in the first 30 minutes, the National Safety Council said.

In general, after 60 minutes, one can expect a 40-degree average increase in internal temperatures for ambient temperatures between 72 and 96 degrees.

How hot is dangerous inside a vehicle?

Interior vehicle temperatures can be 50 degrees higher than outside temperatures. Even on a cool day when the outside temperature is 61, within an hour, the inside temperature of a car reached more than 105, according to Consumer Reports.

On a 72-degree day, a car's interior can be deadly in less than 30 minutes, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The danger from high temperatures is particularly acute for young children because their bodies heat up three to five times faster than adult bodies, the American Academy of Pediatrics said.

Heatstroke in children can happen when their core temperature reaches about 104 degrees. A child can die if their internal body temperature reaches 107 degrees, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation .

And cracking the window, parking in the shade or having a lighter colored car doesn't help, Consumer Reports said. Related content list (ID: 73892033007)

How do children get left inside vehicles? How old were the children who have died?

According to NoHeatStroke.org, the circumstances that lead to a child dying from heatstroke inside a vehicle are usually:

52%, 505 children: They were forgotten, with almost half not dropped off at child care.
25%, 237 children: Children gained access into the vehicle on their own.
21%, 200 children: They were knowingly left in the vehicle by a caregiver.
2%, 26 children: Unknown

"The children who have died from vehicular heatstroke in the United States from 1998 to 2023 have ranged in age from 5 days to 14 years," according to NoHeatStroke.org.

"More than half of the deaths, 55%, are children under 2 years of age."

Signs of heatstroke in children

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, signs of heatstroke that require immediate medical attention include:

shock
collapse
a temperature over 104 degrees
fainting
seizures
not being able to walk

"Before severe heatstroke, children in hot cars suffer from heat illness symptoms, including weakness, dizziness, nausea, feeling faint, headache and an increased body temperature."

Safety tips to keep children from dying in hot car

NoHeatStroke.org and the U.S. Department of Transportation suggested the following tips:

Never leave children unattended in a vehicle, not even for a minute.
Always check the backseat. Leave your wallet or purse as a reminder.
Ask your childcare provider to call if your child doesn’t show up as expected.
Always keep vehicles locked and keys out of reach.
Store car keys out of a child's reach and teach children a vehicle is not a play area.
Call 911 if you see a child alone in a vehicle.

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