NH Toddler Dies Out In Cold In 'Bad Accident'

NEWPORT, NH — A young girl died in the freezing cold in Western New Hampshire Monday after authorities said she wandered outside her residence and was unable to get back inside. The 2-year-old girl was found unresponsive outside her Newport residence at about 7:10 a.m., according to Newport Police Chief James Burroughs. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Temperatures at the time were below freezing.

"Preliminary investigation has revealed that the child left the residence on her own in the early morning hours and was not able to regain entry," Burroughs said in a statement.

Burroughs told the Valley News the girl's death "appears to be a bad accident." No charges were filed against her parents. Police did not identify the girl.

Neighbor Shane Rowe told WMUR he found the girl at about 7 a.m. by a set of outside stairs leading to the Maple Street apartment when he went to start his car. Rowe told the news station his girlfriend was awoken to a child crying at about 4 a.m. but they "couldn't see anything" and went back to bed.

"It's got to be devastating, because I know if it were my child, I would be torn apart," Rowe told the news station.

The Sullivan County Attorney's Office is investigating the death.

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