3-month-old dies after being left in hot car while mom was in clinic, Texas cops say

A 3-month-old boy died after being left unattended in a hot car, Texas authorities say.

The Houston Police Department said officers were dispatched to a clinic at 3:25 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, after learning the baby was left in the car. The baby’s mother took a 4-year-old child inside, but the infant was left alone, police said.

The baby, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, was pronounced dead at a hospital, assistant police chief Yasar Bashir said.

Officers are continuing to investigate, and charges have not been filed. It’s unclear how long the baby was in the car, but Bashir said the woman arrived at the facility sometime after noon.

The child’s mother had discovered her son in the car after going back outside, the assistant police chief said. The mother and father are cooperating with the investigation, police said.

Outside temperatures reached 100 degrees in Houston for the 10th consecutive day Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

“Houston gets very hot,” Bashir said. “Under no circumstances you should leave a child in the car, not even for a moment.”

Bashir called the death “avoidable” and said there “should be zero child infant deaths in the city.”

Hot Car Deaths

More than 950 children have died in hot cars since 1998, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“About 40 children a year die from heatstroke, either because they were left or became trapped in a car,” officials said. “That’s about one child every 10 days killed in a hot car.”

Hot car deaths are most common in the summer heat, but they can happen at any time, according to the administration. The first “vehicular heatstroke” of the year typically happens in March.

“Leaving a window open is not enough - temperatures inside the car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open,” the Centers for Disease Control said.

If you see a child alone in a vehicle, officials said you should immediately call 911 and make sure the child is responsive.

This story was originally published August 9, 2023 at 8:11 AM with the headline "3-month-old dies after being left in hot car while mom was in clinic, Texas cops say."