An eight-month-old child died after being left in a hot car for hours, marking the 14th such death in 2020, said authorities.
At 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, officials in Chesapeake, Virginia, responded to a call about a child left in a car on Adventure Way, according to WAVY-TV.
They later determined that the infant, who was not identified, was left in the scorching vehicle for “several hours.” According to the report, medics showed up and administered first aid to the child.
The child was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, officials said.
The National Weather Service reported that temperatures in the area reached about 90 degrees F on Tuesday. However, due to high humidity, the heat index was much higher, according to The Associated Press.
No Heat Stroke reported that it’s the 14th hot-car death involving a child so far in 2020. Meanwhile, KidsAndCars.org says more than 940 children have died in hot cars in the United States since 1990.
Those with information about the incident should call 1-888-LOCK-U-UP, police said.
Earlier this month, a three-year-old Arkansas girl died and her younger sister was injured after they were left inside a hot car near their mother’s house, officials said.
The Arkansas State Police said their mother, 21-year-old Kaylee Petchenik, called 911 around 2 p.m. and said that she’d woken up from a nap to find her children missing. They were found unconscious on the car’s back floorboard, said police.
“Both are the apparent victims of heat,” police said in a statement.
It’s not clear whether Petchenik will face charges in the case.
