2-year-old child found dead in hot car in Marietta, Georgia
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A 2-year-old in Georgia died after spending an extended period of time in a hot car, but Cobb County police said the child was not left in the vehicle.
Authorities were notified of a child found unconscious in a car in Marietta, about an hour from Atlanta, around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Cobb County police said in a statement. Department officers arrived at the scene and found the 2-year-old child unconscious. Authorities immediately transported the toddler to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police said the incident and cause of death were still under investigation and no charges had been filed.
“There is no evidence that the child was left in the vehicle,” police said.
Sergeant Eric Smith said in a press conference on Wednesday that police have not yet determined how long the child was in the car or how he ended up there. It is also not yet known whether the car belonged to the child’s parents.
While police did not specify the cause of death, Cobb County Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer called it a “hot car death.” In response to a question, Smith said the “ambient temperature” in the area was over 90 degrees on Tuesday, but it was not yet known what the temperature in the car was at the time of death.
Police chief asks for support
VanHoozer also said in Wednesday’s press conference that his department needs time to clarify the facts of the case and find out what happened. VanHoozer expressed his condolences to the child’s family and asked for the community and public’s support and patience as the case is investigated.
“I’m simply asking for support now so we have time to get the facts of this case straight,” VanHoozer said. “And we will do the right thing, but we don’t know right now if prosecution or outrage is warranted. But we do know that support is warranted.”
Police said the investigation is ongoing and asked anyone with information about the incident to call the Crimes Against Persons Unit at 770-499-3945.
Sixth child to die in an overheated car this year
Kids and Cars, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness about deaths caused by overheated cars, said in a statement that Tuesday’s tragedy was at least the sixth such incident in the country this year and the first in Georgia.
Since 1993, at least 46 children have died in overheated cars in Georgia, the organization said. This puts the number of deaths from overheated cars in the state of Georgia in fifth place.
With summer temperatures rising, Kids and Cars is urging parents to take extra care of their children, especially when driving or travelling with them in the heat.
Tips to avoid summer tragedies: Children dying from overheated cars can happen in any family
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.
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