VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A 2-year-old girl died Thursday after being left in a hot car in Volusia County, according to sheriff’s officials.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said the girl was left in the car after the family returned to their Orange City home from lunch around 2:40 p.m. with the child and her two brothers, ages 15 and 8.
The 2-year-old’s parents found the girl unresponsive around 5 p.m. and drove her to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead, officials said.
An investigation is ongoing.
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The child’s death marks the second hot car death in Central Florida in the past two weeks.
Late last month, an 11-month-old baby died in Palm Bay when the infant was left alone in a car for several hours while her parents attended church.
Janette Fennell, president of the nonprofit Kids and Car Safety, said Florida leads the nation in hot car deaths this year.
“In Florida, you have had four of the eight fatalities nationwide,” she said.
Fennell added that number grows heading into summer.
News 6′s Pinpoint Weather team is forecasting highs hitting the 90′s next week. And cars will get hotter when parked and turned off.
“In the first ten minutes, the vehicle temperature is going to spike as much as 20 degrees,” Fennell said.
She added that a 106 degree body temperature is fatal.
“Before you leave, if you can just put your cell phone in the backseat or employee badge or handbag, something you’re going to need when you get to your location and when you get out of your car, open the back door,” Fennell said.
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