Cranston Firefighters Free 3-Year-Old Left in Hot Car for About 30 Minutes

CRANSTON, RI—On one of the hottest days of the summer, Cranston police are investigating the father of a 3-year-old child left in a hot car parked outside a dentist office for about 30 minutes on Thursday.

UPDATE: Cranston Man Charged with Cruelty and Neglect for Leaving Son in Hot Car

Police said the father went into a dentist office near 1090 New London Ave., leaving the young child behind with the engine off and a window cracked at around 1:50 p.m.

Meanwhile, temperatures hovered in the mid 90s and the high humidity made outdoor temperatures feel more like 100 degrees.

Police said the child was somewhat lethargic after being removed from the car by firefighters at around 2:30 p.m. but was otherwise OK after being treated by responders.

A child can suffer life-threatening injuries from exposure to heat inside a car in as little as 15 minutes.

A person in the parking lot noticed the child and called police.

Police are investigating.

Not long after that incident, police responded to another report of a child locked in a car, but officials said it was accidental.

A woman reportedly locked the child in the car with the keys still inside the vehicle. Police said the matter is not being treated criminally.

According to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics, 26 children have died from heat stroke after being left unattended in cars in 2016. Twenty-four died in 2015.