3-month-old left in backseat of sweltering car dies after 'tired' mother falls asleep inside Ohio home
In a heartbreaking chain of events, a three-month-old baby girl died after her 'tired' mother went inside the home to take a nap, leaving the child in the backseat of a sweltering hot car.
Investigators with the Butler County Sheriff’s Office said that they received a distress call at around 4:30 pm on Saturday, June 8.
The distress call was from a 44-year-old mother from rural Butler County who called for help after noticing that her 3-month-old daughter was not breathing in the backseat of her car.
She told investigators that she had returned home from a baby shower with her daughter at around 12:30 pm, according to KAKE-TV.
Butler County Sheriff Kelly Herzet said, "She had commented that she had been very tired. She'd been up some of the night before off and on. Don't know if it was with children or for what reason, but she felt like she needed a nap. She laid down about 12:30pm and slept 'til about 4 o'clock."
Herzet added: "It is a tragedy. A three-month-old child dying, whether it be in the hands of a perpetrator or in a car, is still a child."
According to reports, neither the victim nor her mother have been identified as of now.
However, it is being reported that the lady is a married woman with six children, five of whom were adopted. The children are of ages ranging from three months to 13-years-old.
"It seems like a very good family, very well-natured, took very good care of their children," said Herzet. "Like I said, it's been a very tragic event that's occurred there."
As per reports, police officials are going to conduct an autopsy on the little girl.
KidsandCars.org, a non-profit organization, reported that 11 children have died so far this year from vehicular heatstroke. According to their database, last year, i.e. 2018, saw 52 such deaths take place. On average, 38 children die every year nationwide from vehicular heatstroke.
The organization is now urging parents to place their purses or wallets in the backseat next to their children so as to reduce the risk that they will forget they were there.