Local News

Infant Dies After 9 Hours in Hot Car at Walmart in Texas

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Tony Maples Photography

 

On Friday, tragedy struck in a San Antonio Walmart parking lot. An employee forgot to drop off his son at daycare before going to work at 6:15 a.m.

When he realized his terrible mistake after his shift ended at 3 p.m., it was too late for the infant who had died from the heat. The man broke down in the parking lot and was taken to the hospital due to chest pains.

ABC 7 reports that at least 27 children have passed away in hot cars this year, which is up significantly from last year’s number of 15. Research meteorologist Jan Null says, “The temperature inside a parked car on a 90-degree day will reach 119 degrees in 20 minutes and 133 degrees after an hour.”

KSAT 12 provides valuable advice for even the most careful of parents. They suggest putting something you will need (your purse or briefcase) in the backseat with the child so you have to open the back door of the car to notice the child. Another idea is to put a big stuffed animal in the backseat that you must move to the front when you place your child in the car seat. Additionally, “people can also ask their babysitter or day care service to call and ask where a child is if they have not arrived.”