Ridgefield Couple Whose Baby Died of Hyperthermia Advocates to Prevent More Hot Car Deaths

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Former Ridgefield residents Lindsey and Kyle Seitz, parents of baby Benjamin, who died on July 7, 2014 after being unknowingly left in a hot car, are working with Kids and Cars to help prevent more hot car deaths, according to a release from Kids and Cars.

“The biggest mistake a parent could make is to think this couldn’t happen to them,” said Sue Auriemma, vice-president of KidsAndCars.org, a research organization dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers vehicles pose to children. “It happens to the most loving and caring parents.”

Already in 2016, 29 children have been killed by being left in hot cars, the organization stated. "It can happen anywhere to anyone at any time of the year. After summer, the risk for children being forgotten in cars still remains high because of new routines by parents and caregivers. Technology exists that can and should be put into cars to save children. It is time to act," Kids and Cars said in a statement.

Benjamin Jacob Seitz, the 15-month-old son of Kyle Seitz and Lindsey Rogers-Seitz passed away on Monday, July 7, 2014 after his father accidentally left him in the back seat of his car on a hot summer day. Seitz planned to drop his son at daycare before he went to work but later realized he had forgotten to make the stop only when he left work hours later, drove to the daycare and was told he had never arrived with the boy. The father discovered the son in the backseat of his car. Benjamin died of hyperthermia.

The Seitz family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado after her husband was charged in November 2014 with their son's death. Kyle Seitz received a two-year conditional discharge at his sentencing in 2015 to avoid jail time after his wife asked the court for leniency.

“The pain of losing Ben is visceral, it never goes away,” Rogers-Seitz said in a statemen. “I ask for compassion and leniency in sentencing so we can grieve and heal together as a family.”

Despite the personal tragedy the family endured, they are trying to prevent a similar situation from happening again. by pushing for a change in legislation to address this public safety concern.
An average of 38 children a year in the U.S. have died of heat stroke, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

New legislation will be introduced on Thursday to place that technology into vehicles in order to prevent child heatstroke deaths. U.S. Representatives Tim Ryan (D-13th OH), Peter King (R-2nd NY) and Jan Schakowsky (D-9th IL) introduced the "Helping Overcome Trauma for Children Alone in Rear Seats Act (HOT CARS Act of 2016)." The technology alerts the driver if a passenger remains in the rear seat and is capable of detecting unattended passengers and also reminding and alerting parents of a child left behind in a vehicle.

Related:

• Funeral Scheduled for Ridgefield Baby Benjamin Seitz, 15-Month-Old
• Ridgefield Dad Avoids Jail Time in Son's 'Hot Car Death'
• The Gift of Ben Blog

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