3 Kids Die This Week in Hot Cars

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3 Kids Die This Week in Hot Cars

Friday, August 22, 2008

Call to action: Forward this story to every mom you know to hopefully spare another innocent life.

Every week, it seems that we hear about at least one baby senselessly dying in a sweltering vehicle. A 15-month-old girl died Sunday after being forgotten in a van by her parents. Tuesday, a 4-year-old died after playing in a car. Then Thursday, a university professor forgot to drop her 11-month-old off at daycare, and the baby died after being in the family minivan for eight hours. When will it stop?

Jan and Chris Starr (an assistant pastor) were returning to their home from church with their four children Sunday when they accidentally left their 15-month-old daughter asleep in the van for three hours.

"One of the older children then said to the mother, 'Cassandra's not in bed,'" Barry Bloss, York County coroner, told WGAL. "She immediately realized her own infant can't go anywhere. She ran to the vehicle and, unfortunately, the child was deceased."

Tuesday, a 4-year-old boy locked himself in the family car for up to four hours and died. The boy informed his mother he was going to visit his father who was working in the workshop on the property that was approximately 100 yards away from the home. Police say that at some point after visiting with his father, the boy told his father he was going back to the house to see his mother. Both parents thought the other one was with him, but the boy had locked himself in the family car. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Thursday, university professor Dr. Jodie Edwards, who has a doctorate in counseling, accidentally left her 11-month-old daughter in her car seat in the rear of her Honda Odyssey when she reported to work at about 8:30 a.m. Baby Jenna was discovered by her mother when she left work at about 4:30 p.m. When police responded to Edwards' 911 call, they found the little girl dead in the car seat.

Hear the heart-breaking 911 call here.

Last month, momlogic reported that 16 kids died in hot cars in the U.S. in June and July alone. Then just last week we told you about two more kids in Houston who tragically died the same way:

- August 14 - 3-year-old Cameron Boone--who died when he was left inside a pickup truck--tried to save himself from the sweltering heat. Investigators said Boone got out of his car seat, found an extra key and tried to put it in the ignition, to no avail. Cameron's mother was supposed to drop off her son at day care around 6 a.m. before heading to work at the hospital where she was an operating room technician--but forgot. Detectives said the mother arrived at work at 6:30 a.m. and did not realize her son was in the truck until her shift was over at 3:30
p.m.--but he was already dead.

- August 13 - An unidentified 3-year-old boy died after he was left in a locked car for more than 10 hours. A family member was supposed to drop the child off at day care but forgot. She arrived at work at 7:30 a.m., and did not
discover her mistake until she pulled out at 5:45 p.m. and saw the boy's lifeless body still strapped in his car seat.

Go to page 2 for a recap of the other 16 children who died in June and July alone.

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wow that lady that made that 911 call, doesnt even sound sad or shes not even crying. wat the heck..does she not realize that her baby girl just passed away?

- Anonymous

Posted 08/22/08 02:48 PM

you can’t tell me that these parents just”forgot” about their children being in their vehicle. Ther is no way i am a mother of 4 and my children have never played in a hot or cold car and i sure as hell would never forget to get them out of the car for any reason. come on people we as parents are not that busy that we can forget something like the children we gave birth to. The parents who left their kids in their vehicles and went to work should never be allowed to have children again.

- missy

Posted 08/22/08 03:22 PM

Missy, I could not agree with you more. I have over and over stated that same thing here and for some reason these parents get defended on this matter. I truely believe that it would just about be impossible to just “forget” your kids in the car. What bothers me most is that there is no form of leagal action taken on these parents. To me this is why it keeps happening. When did it become an option to remember to take care of your child???

- Wendi

Posted 08/22/08 03:54 PM

It just seems typical of this “me first” generation. We don’t put our kids first, always, and then we pay the consequences. From the moment I wake up, to the moment I go to bed, my kids are the first priority in my life. It is heartbreaking to lose a child, but when it is due to something as stupid and irresponsible as “forgetting” them, that borders on criminal. This HAS to STOP.

- Chuck

Posted 08/22/08 03:59 PM

This article has made me so angry. I don’t know about anyone else, but how can you simply “forget” to drop your child off, or “forget” to take them out of your vehicle. It’s maddening that people’s lives are so busy and hectic that they forget to take care of their children. Don’t these people think about their children at work, and if they do, then why the heck don’t they realize that they forgot them in a vehicle…….? I’m sorry, but stupidity shouldn’t breed, that’s my final words on that!

- Courteney

Posted 08/22/08 09:13 PM

I agree, when I listened to that soundfile I was expecting to hear a frantic woman on the other end. She sounded more “embarrassed” then upset. I would never in a million years forget my 7 month daughter in the car. I feel guilty enough leaving her waiting in the baby car seat in the car when I’m taking the stroller and baby bag out before I take her out and put her in her stroller. That Professor should fry in jail for manslaughter!

- Kelly G

Posted 08/22/08 10:35 PM

Come on!! I can you forget you child was in the car.

- Anonymous

Posted 08/22/08 11:58 PM

I agree with the other posters, but I want to make one addition. Laws requiring small children to sit in the backseats are stupid. It would be better to design front seat seating arrangements that are safe for a young child. At least some parent who is so hassled and so distracted that she or he might forget a child invisible in the back of the car will have the visible presence of the child in the front seat to protect the child. Put this another way. How many children sitting in safety seats in the front of the car are killed each year from being hit by an airbag or mislocation of a seatbelt? How many children sitting in safety seats in the back of the car are killed each year as a result of having been forgotten?

- Michael

Posted 08/23/08 12:42 AM

God have mercy on those selfish parents whom allowed their children to die a horrific death! I am a R.N. and have had to attempt to revive these angels at the crisis scene. We do not leave our pets in a car during warm weather unattended, so, why do some parents leave their children unattended in a warm car?!

- LuLu

Posted 08/23/08 02:28 AM

To me this is like legal murder. Who knows, perhaps some sick parent thinks that way. Ill say its an accident and i forgot and then suffer no consequences for the action. Stupid thought you say? Well what can be more stupid than ‘forgetting’ a child??!??!

- Moby

Posted 08/23/08 08:34 AM

I listened to this call thinking that the mother would be distraught…she sounds like she is calling about a flat tire. I realize it is possible to forget about a child for a while…maybe even an hour…but three, four, and even longer hours?! Do these people never get curious about their children? Do they never check on them to see what they are doing?! My daughter has 8 children, and she checks and double checks her van and again after they are in the house. I also do not understand why other people in a parking lot, coming and going, do not notice a baby or a small child inside a vehicle. The one set of parents I feel bad for are the ones of the 4-year old boy. They didn’t forget their son, but the car also should not have been unlocked.

- Lin

Posted 08/23/08 09:30 AM

This touches me so much when I think about a baby trying to escape out of the car. Little Cameron Boone even found the key, but didn’t know how to turn the ignition on. It sadend me when I think of the panic he went through in his tragic death. Even the unidentifed boy who was found still in his car seat. That suffering makes me about to cry. I feel for the babies who lay there wrapped in blankets and crying. Please be more aware, count your kids when you get in the house to be sure there are all there. I understand life gets hectic, you don’t want to be late for work again, but it’s worth the time to go back and double check the car. They are in heaven with him and that makes me feel better knowing that they are not hurting. Please if you have to put an alarm on your cell that goes off at the time you get to work, or put a sign that says check for baby by the speedometer, or tie a string on your finger. I know this sounds ridiculous and I don’t want people to become dependent on alarms, etc; but I just want to say anything I can to make this stop. I also agree with the post above by Moby saying that this maybe some sick parents “way out” from there kids. Police really need to look into that.

- Anonymous

Posted 08/23/08 12:50 PM

I know God has blessed these Angels, but I pray for the families that have suffered these losses.

- Anonymous

Posted 08/23/08 01:06 PM

they all need to be locked in a car and left! they are the biggest bunch of liars, everyone of them how in the hell do you forget your child? YOU DON’T YOU DON’T they just killed their children and are getting away with it MURDERERS

- angela helms

Posted 08/23/08 06:38 PM

May God bless these parents. I am sure they will never be the same! In this world where we are all seeking the almighty dollar to survive and provide for our families it is only human nature to overlook something!!!! Sadly in these cases it was their children. We all need to slow down and put priorities where they should be.

- GBauer504

Posted 08/23/08 06:39 PM

The only thing heartbreaking about the 911 call, is that she does not sound all that upset or ‘heartbroken’.

- jenn

Posted 08/23/08 10:53 PM

i don’t understand how a parent can just leave there kids in a car and forget they are there i have 3 kids and when i’am bye myself i still look in the back seat

- Heather

Posted 08/24/08 09:56 PM

That woman on the 911 call sounded like she was faking even the small amount of concern in her voice. It also sounded like she was taking drags off a cigarette. Who lights up a marlboro when they just saw their dead baby in the backseat of their car???? If these people aren’t brought up on charges, there will be more and more parents out there who will use this as a means of killing their children. This is disgusting.

- Heathereeee

Posted 08/25/08 12:58 AM

Negligence.That’s all it is.Most of these cases are inexcusable.I don’t care how busy or tired you are,any loving parent knows if their child is missing within minutes.This situation is breaking my heart.

- CM

Posted 08/25/08 08:58 AM

You people are ruthless! These parents made a fatal mistake and now they have to get up every day and face it. Can you imagine that? No, of course, not. With unforgiving people like you they mine as well commit suicide… What ever happened to being a good Christian and loving thy neighbor? They did not do this on purpose…maybe everyone should stop judging these parents and come up with a solution so it never happens again. A sensor in the car perhaps. Parents, get a DVD player in your car and play it only when your child is in the car…then you will know exactly where they are. When you get the child out of the car automatically turn the DVD player off. Mine has a remote and I just push a button. Easy! It works… I have two grandbabies that come over and go with me sometimes to the store or the zoo or wherever. I only turn on the DVD player when they are with me. Try it for the safety of all the angels in the world.

- CK1

Posted 08/25/08 10:54 AM

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