3-year-old dies of heat exposure after being found in hot car

CLARKE COUNTY, Ala. (WALA/Gray News) - A 3-year-old boy died from heat exposure after being found inside a hot vehicle in Alabama, Clarke County Sheriff DeWayne Smith confirmed.

The child’s parents reported him missing on June 12.

When deputies and officers with the Grove Hill Police Department got to the home, they found the toddler within 20 minutes in the back seat of a car. He was not in a car seat, the sheriff said.

Investigators have not yet determined whether he went into the vehicle on his own or was left inside.

The toddler was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Alabama Department of Human Resources removed three other children from the home.

No arrests have been made.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 37 children every year die from heatstroke related to being in hot cars.

To help prevent hot car deaths, the department recommends drivers always check the back seat before locking their doors, keeping the car locked at all times and never leaving a child alone.