Toddler dies after being left in vehicle in scorching heat
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD/Gray News) – A 2-year-old girl died Tuesday after she was left in a vehicle in Arizona.
“We don’t know the circumstances. We are trying to find that out,” Marana Police Capt. Tim Brunenkant said. “Again, when those temperatures arise, especially this week when it’s 110, it’s just tragic.”
Police said the girl’s father told them he left her in the vehicle with the engine running and the air conditioning on.
He went inside to do some things and when he came out, the car was off and the 2-year-old was unresponsive.
Brunenkant said it is unclear how long the toddler was in the car with no AC.
In these situations, every minute counts. Brunenkant said she could have been sitting in the car anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour.
“All we know is that it was a hot car,” Brunenkant said. “The child was unresponsive, it was very hot, and it’s very tragic.”
According to Brunenkant, the father called 911 as soon as he realized the AC had stopped working. The little girl was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead.
“He left the child in the car. The car was running; the AC was operational,” Brunenkant said. “We are trying to determine how long he was in the house, at what time the car may have shut off or the AC stopped working.”
Brunenkant said that the investigation is still early when it comes to criminal charges.
“We are doing the interviews, and we are trying to determine if this was a mistake,” Brunenkant said. “Is it an accident? Is that possible? ... We’ll have to determine that.”
Brunenkant said this should serve as a reminder never to leave a child in a car unattended.
“We experience this nationwide every summer. When temperatures get above 100 degrees, it could even be 90 degrees,” Brunenkant said. “It just depends on the circumstances. It’s very tragic.”
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