Tragedy struck in Oakland Park, Florida today where officials report that a 2 year old died from being left behind in a hot vehicle. In this case, the 2 year old was left behind in a van operated by Ceressa’s Day Care. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to the scene where afternoon temperatures reached 91 degrees Monday. According to the National Weather Service, air temperautres in the 90’s could produce temperatures inside the vehicle well over 120 degrees in less than an hour.
Police have yet to identify the toddler nor have they announced any charges against the driver or other daycare center employees for today’s death. According to parents of children at the facility, the van is used to transport daycare children to the facility.
Broward County Sheriff’s Office said a call came in at 3:20 pm today that a daycare employee had found the child inside the White Ford E-350 Super Duty van. The child had been picked up to be taken to the center earlier in the day, but it was not clear how long the baby boy had been in the van before he was discovered, Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Keyla Concepcion told reporters.
The 2 year old boy’s death is the 24th of the year, just days after a hospital social worker says he forgot about leaving his twin babies in his car in New York. Those children were reported dead on the scene. On average, an American child is killed every 8 days from being left behind in a hot car. Last year, a record 52 children died in hot cars, according to the National Safety Council.
