Infant Dies After Being In Hot Vehicle For Hours: Harford Sheriff

BELCAMP, MD — A 6-month-old baby left in a hot vehicle Sunday died of her injuries. The incident now is being investigated, officials say.

On July 6, Harford County sheriff's deputies were called to the 300 block of Hampton Hall Court in Belcamp for a report of an unresponsive 6-month-old child who had been left in a vehicle. Deputies and other first responders immediately started life saving measures, but the infant succumbed to her injuries.

No charges have been filed at this time, but the investigation is continuing, the Harford County Sheriff's Office saidd.

Police were called around 9:47 p.m. and believe the baby was in the car for multiple hours, a sheriff’s office spokesperson told Fox 45 News.

The National Weather Service showed temperatures reaching a high of 89 degrees Sunday in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., area. The sheriff’s office noted that a car’s interior temperature can increase by 20 degrees in just 10 minutes “on a warm day.”

"With summer temperatures on the rise, the danger of heatstroke for children left inside cars increases dramatically. On a warm day, the interior of a parked vehicle can rise by 20 degrees in just 10 minutes — even with windows cracked. A child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult’s, placing them at severe risk of heatstroke, which can cause irreversible injury or death," the Harford County Sheriff's Office stated. "National safety experts identify heatstroke as the leading cause of non-crash, vehicle-related deaths among children under 15 — with babies under the age of one facing the greatest risk."

The HCSO shared the following safety tips:

• Look Before You Lock. Always check the back seat before locking and leaving your vehicle. Make it a routine to open the back door every time you park.
• Keep a Reminder. Place your purse, phone, or other essential item in the back seat next to the child’s car seat so you check every time.
• Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even for a few minutes.
• If you see a child alone in a car, call 911.

Image courtesy of the Harford County Sheriff's Office