2014 – Exposure to excessive natural heat, esp. AZ/91, CA/53, TX/38, Clark Co., NV/26–360
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 2-19-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–360 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, Census Region, X30 and T67 code search.
— 13 Northeast
— 52 Midwest
–123 South
–172 West
–304 Blanchard tally from State and locality breakouts below.[1]
–244 CDC WONDER. Underlying Cause of Death, Census Region, X30/excessive natural heat.[2]
— 10 Northeast
— 38 Midwest
— 96 South
–100 West
— 32 Kids and Cars. 2014 Nontraffic Fatalities (as of 6/18/15). “Heatstroke.” 6-8-2015.
— 31 Null. Child mortality from heat in vehicles for the year 2014.
— 20 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2014 Heat Related Fatalities. 6-10-2015.[3]
ICDC Codes used in CDC Wonder Online Database: (The T67 and X30 codes we use are the “Census Region” and two “State” locations in the search page – Underlying Cause of Death and Multiple Causes of Death – the higher numbers are to be found when using the Multiple Causes of Death option for “Census Region.”)
T67 Effects of heat and light
T67.0 (Heatstroke and sunstroke);
T67.1 (Heat syncope); heat syncope [fainting]; factors include dehydration and lack of acclimatization.
T67.2 (Heat cramp);
T67.3 (Heat exhaustion, anhydrotic); [Note: T67 codes are in the class of “multiple
T67.4 (Heat exhaustion due to salt depletion); cause of death,” meaning, usually, that heat
T67.5 (Heat exhaustion, unspecified); contributed to or combined with another
T67.6 (Heat fatigue, transient); cause of death – such as a heart condition.]
T67.7 (Heat oedema);
T67.8 (Other effects of heat and light);
T67.9 (Effect of heat and light, unspecified)
X30 Exposure to excessive natural heat. [An underlying (or primary) cause of death.]
State Summary 2014
Arizona 91 AZ Dept. Health Services. “Heat-Caused & Heat-Related Deaths…(2011-2021).”
California 53 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
Connecticut 1
Delaware 1
Florida 21 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
Georgia 11 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
Hawaii 1
Illinois 11 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
Kansas 1
Maryland 8
Michigan 2
Minnesota 2
Missouri 18 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
Nevada 29 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
New York 1
No. Carolina 2
Oklahoma 1
Oregon 1
So. Carolina 10 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
Texas 38 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
Virginia 1
Total 304
Breakout of 2014 Heat-Related Fatalities by State and Locality (where available)
Arizona 91
–91 AZ Dept. Health Services. “Heat-Caused & Heat-Related Deaths…(2011-2021).”
–48 Heat-Caused Deaths
–43 Heat-Related Deaths.
–60 Maricopa County
–13 Pima County
–18 7 other counties where numbers were suppressed (non-zero, less than six).
–86 KJZZ.org (Carrie Jung). “Big Drop in Arizona Heat-Related Deaths in 2014.” 5-8-2015.[4]
–77 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 code search alone.
–69 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, X30 and T67 codes.
–37 CDC WONDER ICD-10 Codes search for X30 (Exposure to excessive natural heat).
— 3 Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below.
— 2 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2014 Heat Related Fatalities. 6-10-2015.
— 1 Lake Mead National Recreation Area, June 3. Male, 62, hiking to Arizona Hot Spring.[5]
–59 Maricopa County Dept. of Public Health. Heat-Associated Deaths…Final Report 2014.
–25 Maricopa Co. CDC WONDER ICD-10 Codes, X30 (Exposure to excessive natural heat).
–1 Phoenix, Oct 4. Boy, 3; left in car in church parking lot by family friend.[6]
— 1 Pima Co., Tucson Metro Area, Oct 22. Girl, 7-mo.; father left in car “as long as 8 hours.”[7]
California 53
–53 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
–50 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, X30 search alone.
–49 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, X30 and T67 codes.
–37 CDC WONDER ICD-10 Codes search for X30 (Exposure to excessive natural heat).
— 8 Blanchard tally of locality breakouts below.
— 2 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2014 Heat Related Fatalities. 6-10-2015.
— 1 Bakersfield, May 3. Heatstroke; boy (Velasquez), 4. Got into family car, became trapped.[8]
— 1 Death Valley National Park, June 6. Male tourist, 54, “heat-related causes,” outside.[9]
— 1 Death Valley National Park, July 3. Male, 50, outside.[10]
— 1 Hanford, June 2. Heat fatality; worker, 54,[11] was performing steel connection tasks.[12]
— 1 Healdsburg, June 24. Heat stress; worker was performing dry wall finishing.[13]
— 1 San Jose, west, April 16. Heatstroke; boy (Giovanni Alonzo Hernandez), 9-months, in car.[14]
— 1 Sylmar, July 30. Vincent Quintana, 3, climbed into family car and could not get out.[15]
— 1 Yucaipa, July 11. Heat stress; worker engaged in asbestos remediation.[16]
Connecticut 1
— 1 Ridgefield, July 7. Boy (Benjamin Seitz), 15-months, forgotten, left in car by father.[17]
Delaware 1
— 1 Sussex, June 18-19. Heat-related death, male, 56.[18]
Florida 21
–21 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
–20 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, X30 and T67 codes.
–18 CDC WONDER ICD-10 Codes search for X30 (Exposure to excessive natural heat).
— 1 Rockledge, June 16. Girl, 9-months, left in hot pickup truck by father while at work.[19]
— 1 Sarasota, June 8. Alejandra Hernandez, 2, left in back seat of father’s car five hours.[20]
Georgia 11
–11 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
— 1 Clarkston, May 12. Girl, 2, gets into mother’s car, “somehow getting locked in…”[21]
— 1 Marietta area, Cobb Co., June 18. Boy (Cooper Harris), 22-months, left in hot car by father.[22]
Hawaii 1
— 1 Lahaina, Aug 29. Kaiohu Kapu, 4, apparently locks herself in car with no inside handles, 84°.[23]
Illinois 20
–20 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, X30 and T67 codes.
–11 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
–10 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
— 1 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2014 Heat Related Fatalities. 6-10-2015.
— 1 McLean County, Gridley, Aug 25. Prolonged exposure to heat; male, 55.[24]
— 1 Princeton, May 25. Heat-related; boy, Logan Jacobs, 5, gets into family car; 120° inside.[25]
Kansas 1
— 1 Wichita, July 24. Girl, 10-months old, left in car about 2 hours; high temperature 90°.[26]
Maryland 8
— 8 MD Dept. Health and MH. 2014 Heat-related Illness Surveillance Report. 10-2-2014.
— 1 Baltimore, Morgan State U., Aug 24 (Aug 10 football practice collapse). Heatstroke, male, 18.[27]
— 3 Hagerstown, June 16. Heatstroke; mother, 32, and daughters, 6-months and 18-months, in car.[28]
— 1 Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Sep 3. Boy, 17-months, left in car about 7 hours, 85°.[29]
Michigan 2
— 1 Detroit, June 30. Heat stress; landscape worker operating weed whipper first day on job.[30]
— 1 Port Huron, July 11. Derrick Holmon, 5, got into neighbor’s car (they were not at home).[31]
Minnesota 2
— 2 State. Minnesota Department of Health. Heat-related Deaths: Facts & Figures. 2015.[32]
Missouri 18
–18 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
–17 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, X30 and T67 codes.
–11 CDC WONDER ICD-10 Codes search for X30 (Exposure to excessive natural heat).
Nevada 29
–29 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
–28 AP. “Coroner in Vegas charts spike in summer heat-related deaths.” 8-31-2015.[33]
–28 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, X30 and T67 codes.
–12 National Weather Service, NOAA. 2014 Heat Related Fatalities. 6-10-2015.
–10 CDC WONDER ICD-10 Codes search for X30 (Exposure to excessive natural heat).
–26 Clark County. KNPR. “Deaths From Summer Heat Way up in Southern Nevada.” 7-2-2018.
— 2 Las Vegas Valley, June 8-11. Female, 54, and male, 64, outside/open areas.[34]
— 3 Las Vegas, July 1. NCDC. Storm Events Database. Excessive Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas…[35]
–1 Female, 78, permanent home.
–1 Female, 68, vehicle/towed trailer.
–1 Male, 80, permanent home.
— 1 Las Vegas, July 5. Heat-related causes; male, 76, permanent home.[36]
— 1 Las Vegas, July 9. Heat-related causes; female, 91, permanent home.[37]
— 1 Las Vegas, July 17. Heat-related causes; male, 54, permanent structure.[38]
— 1 Las Vegas, July 22. Heat-related causes; male, 65, outside/open areas.[39]
— 1 Las Vegas, Aug 2. Heat-related causes; male, 58, vehicle/towed trailer.[40]
— 1 Las Vegas, Aug 10. Heat-related causes; male, 74, permanent home.[41]
— 1 Las Vegas, Aug 18. Heat-related causes; male, 65, permanent structure.[42]
New York 1
— 1 Dolgeville, June 4. Sophia Lea Marie Lyon, 15-months; left and forgotten by father in car.[43]
North Carolina 2
— 1 Buford, July 6. “Severe heat stroke,” boy, 3, climbs into family car and locks himself in.[44]
— 1 Statesville, July 27. Hyperthermia, boy, 1-month, left in car two hours; parents arrested.[45]
Oklahoma 1
— 1 Ardmore, June 12. Mason Ryan Wood, 2-months; left in hot car over seven hours by relative.[46]
Oregon 1
— 1 Hillsboro, Oct 16. Girl, Jillian Freier, 6-months; father forgot, left in car for six hours.[47]
South Carolina 10
–10 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
— 1 Florence, May 25. Hyperthermia; Jeremiah Kennedy, 13-months, left in hot car.[48]
— 1 Hartsville, May 8. Hyperthermia due to extreme heat. Girl, 13-months, left in vehicle.[49]
— 1 Lancaster, July 6. Heatstroke, Logan Cox, 3, climbed into car July 3, could not get out.[50]
Texas 38
–38 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, T67 search alone.
–35 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, X30 search alone.
–34 CDC WONDER, Multiple Cause of Death, State search, X30 and T67 codes.
–26 CDC WONDER ICD-10 Codes search for X30 (Exposure to excessive natural heat).
— 1 Brownsville, Sep 14. Hyperthermia; boy (Muñoz), 8-months, left in hot car at a house.[51]
— 1 El Paso, July 6. Hailey Marie Harper, 2, left in car about 10 hours by mother after night out.[52]
— 1 Flint, June 10. Heatstroke; Bella Lindstrom, 4, climbed into father’s car, couldn’t get out.[53]
— 1 No. Richland Hills, Apr 22. Heatstroke; girl (Aurora Hollingsworth), 17-months, left in car.[54]
Virginia 1
— 1 Roanoke, Aug 31. River Lyn Nicole Jackson, 2, left in car seat in closed van, family home.[55]
Narrative Information
NWS: “In 2014, 20 people died as a result of extreme heat, down dramatically from the 2013 total of 92 fatalities and even more dramatically from the 2012 total of 155. This number is well below the 10-year average for heat related fatalities, 124. In 2014, the most dangerous place to be was outside, where a reported 7 (35%) of deaths occurred. The next most dangerous places were in a permanent home, likely with little or no air conditioning, or in a vehicle, each of which numbered 5 deaths (25%). For the second consecutive year, Nevada numbered by far the most heat victims, 12, but down significantly from the state’s 2013 total of 42. The next deadliest states were Arizona and California with 2 heat-related deaths each. As in the past, extreme heat most strongly affected adults aged 50+, with 17 deaths (85%). Sadly, the remaining deaths were children 0-9, likely left in vehicles. Once again, more males, 13 (65%), than females, 7 (35%), were killed by heat.”
Null Monthly Breakout for Child Deaths in Cars in 2014
April 4
May 4
June 8
July 7
Aug 3
Sep 2
Oct 3
Total 31
Narrative Information
(On Heat)
CDC. “Heat-Related Deaths – [U.S.], 1999-2003,” MMWR, V55, N29, 7-28-2006, 796-798:
“Heat-related illnesses (e.g., heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat syncope, or heatstroke) can occur when high ambient temperatures overcome the body’s natural ability to dissipate heat. Older adults, young children, and persons with chronic medical conditions are particularly susceptible to these illnesses and are at high risk for heat-related mortality. Previous analyses of the risk factors associated with heat-related deaths have been based on the underlying cause entered on the death certificate. The analysis revealed that including these deaths increased the number of heat-related deaths by 54% and suggested that the number of heat-related deaths is underestimated.
“CDC uses information from death certificates categorized by codes from the International Classification of Diseases to estimate national mortality trends. These data, collected and submitted by states, were used to determine the number of deaths in the United States during 1999–2003 that had exposure to excessive natural heat§ recorded as the underlying cause (code X30 from ICD, tenth revision [ICD-10]), hyperthermia recorded as a contributing factor (ICD-10 code T67) (6), or both….
“Editorial Note: In this analysis, the inclusion of hyperthermia as a contributing cause of death increased by 54% the total number of heat-related deaths during 1999–2003 that would have been counted through inclusion of a heat-related underlying cause alone. Because heat-related illnesses can exacerbate existing medical conditions and death from heat exposure can be preceded by various symptoms, heat-related deaths can be difficult to identify when illness onset or death is not witnessed by a clinician. In addition, the criteria used to determine heat-related causes of death vary among states. This can lead to underreporting heat-related deaths or to reporting heat as a factor contributing to death rather than the underlying cause.
“Continued exposure to excessive heat can lead to hyperthermia or death. Of the heat-related illnesses, heat exhaustion and heatstroke are the most serious. Heat exhaustion is characterized by muscle cramps, fatigue, headache, nausea or vomiting, and dizziness or fainting. The skin is often cool and moist, indicating that the body’s mechanism for cooling itself (i.e., sweating) is still functioning. The pulse rate is typically fast and weak, and breathing is rapid and shallow. If untreated, heat exhaustion can progress to heatstroke. Heatstroke is a serious, life-threatening condition characterized by a high body temperature (>103ºF [>39.4ºC]); red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating); rapid, strong pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; and unconsciousness. Symptoms can progress to encephalopathy, liver and kidney failure, coagulopathy, and multiple organ system dysfunction. Prompt treatment of heat-related illnesses with aggressive fluid replacement and cooling of core body temperature is critical to reducing morbidity and mortality.
“Many heat-related deaths, regardless of whether they are associated with chronic medical conditions, are preventable. During periods of extreme heat, heat-related illnesses can be prevented by avoiding strenuous outdoor activities, drinking adequate amounts of fluid, avoiding alcohol consumption, wearing lightweight clothing, and using air-conditioning. Groups at high risk include young children, persons aged >65 years, persons who do strenuous activities outdoors, and persons with chronic (particularly cardiovascular) medical conditions.”
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) on Heat-Related Deaths (11-21-2023):
“When people are exposed to extreme heat, they can suffer from potentially deadly illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Hot temperatures can also contribute to deaths from heart attacks, strokes, and other forms of cardiovascular disease. Heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States, even though most heat-related deaths are preventable through outreach and intervention (see EPA’s Excessive Heat Events Guidebook at: www.epa.gov/heat-islands/excessive-heat-events-guidebook).
Unusually hot summer temperatures have become more common across the contiguous 48 states in recent decades…extreme heat events (heat waves) have become more frequent and intense… and these trends are expected to continue. As a result, the risk of heat-related deaths and illness is also expected to increase.[56] The “urban heat island” effect accentuates the problem by causing even higher temperatures in densely developed urban areas. Reductions in cold-related deaths are projected to be smaller than increases in heat-related deaths in most regions. Death rates can also change, however, as people acclimate to higher temperatures and as communities strengthen their heat response plans and take other steps to continue to adapt.
“Certain population groups already face higher risks of heat-related death, and increases in summertime temperature variability will increase that risk. The population of adults aged 65 and older, which is expected to continue to grow, has a higher-than-average risk of heat-related death. Children are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness and death, as their bodies are less able to adapt to heat than adults, and they must rely on others to help keep them safe. People with certain diseases, such as cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, are especially vulnerable to excessive heat exposure, as are the economically disadvantaged. Data also suggest a higher risk among non-Hispanic Blacks.”
Trent, CA Dept. of Health Services on Heat-Related (HR) Illness: “HR illness is described according to three stages of increasing severity:
- Heat cramps. Mild and easy to treat, this level involves fevers generally under 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Heat exhaustion: Involves fevers over 102 degrees Fahrenheit, often with vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue.
- Heat stroke: A severe and life-threatening failure of body’s ability to cool (e.g., sweating ceases), with fevers over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat stroke can result in organ and neurologic damage and lead quickly to death.” (p. 3)
“Exertional heat stroke tends to occur among younger (under 50 years old), healthier persons who develop heat stroke after strenuous activity and inadequate hydration. The result is dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Exposures may involve work or recreational activities outdoors.
“Classic heat stroke tends to occur among persons who are older (over 50 years old), frail, and with chronic diseases. They may take medications, have psychological or cognitive problems, and live alone. They are assumed to have a compromised thermoregulatory response due to their age, illnesses, and medications. They generally are not in an air conditioned space when discovered with heat stroke symptoms or deceased.” (p. 5)
(Trent, Roger B., Ph.D. (CA Dept. of Health Services). Review of July 2006 Heat Wave Related Fatalities in California. Sacramento, CA: Epidemiology and Prevention for Injury Control Branch, California Department of Health Services, May 2007.)
Associated Press (Anita Snow and Kendria Lafleur), Mishmash of how US heat deaths are counted complicates efforts to keep people safe as Earth warms.” 8-13-2023:
“….Even when it seems obvious that extreme heat was a factor, death certificates don’t always reflect the role it played. Experts say a mishmash of ways more than 3,000 counties calculate heat deaths means we don’t really know how many people die in the U.S. each year because of high temperatures in an ever warming world.
“That imprecision harms efforts to better protect people from extreme heat because officials who set policies and fund programs can’t get the financial and other support needed to make a difference….Currently, about the only consistency in counting heat deaths in the U.S. is that officials and climate specialists acknowledge fatalities are grossly undercounted…
“ ‘It’s frustrating that for 90 years public health officials in the United States have not had a good picture of heat-related mortality because we have such a bad data system,’ said Dr. David Jones, a Harvard Medical School professor who also teaches in the epidemiology department at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
“There is no uniformity among who does the counting across U.S. jurisdictions. Death investigations in some places might be carried out by a medical examiner, typically a physician trained in forensic pathology. In other locales, the coroner could be an elected sheriff, such as the one in Orange County, California. In some small counties in Texas, a justice of peace might determine cause of death. Utah and Massachusetts are among states that do not track heat-related deaths where exposure to extreme heat was a secondary factor.
“The CDC, which is often several years behind in reporting, draws information on heat deaths from death certificate information included in local, state, tribal and territorial databases. The CDC said in a statement that coroners and others who fill out death certificates ‘are encouraged to report all causes of death,’ but they may not always associate those contributing causes to an extreme heat exposure death and include the diagnostic codes for heat illnesses.
“Hess, the Arizona coroner [Pima County medical examiner], said determining environmental heat was a factor in someone’s death is difficult and can take weeks or even months of investigation including toxicological tests. ‘If someone was shot in the head, it’s pretty obvious what happened there,’ Hess said. ‘But when you find a body in a hot apartment 48 hours after they died, there is a lot of ambiguity.’ Hess noted that Pima County this year began including heat-related deaths in its tally of environmental heat fatalities….”
Sources:
11Alive.com (Catherine Beck), Atlanta. “Toxicology results released in death of Cooper Harris.” 7-10-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/marietta/2014/07/09/cooper-harris-toxicology-results/12432413/
ABC13, WSET.com, Lynchburg, Danville, Roanoke, VA. “Child Found Dead in Hot Van Identified.” 9-4-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.wset.com/story/26452043/child-found-dead-in-hot-van-identified
ABC15, Phoenix (Ashley Loose). “Child dies after being left in hot car in Phoenix church parking lot.” 10-6-2014, updated 107-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/child-dies-after-being-left-in-hot-car-in-phoenix-church-parking-lot
Arizona Department of Health Services. “Heat-Caused & Heat-Related Deaths in Arizona by Year (2011-2021). Accessed 2-19-2024 at: https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/preparedness/epidemiology-disease-control/extreme-weather/pubs/heat-related-mortality-year.pdf
Associated Press. “Coroner: Heatstroke killed Hagerstown, Md. woman and daughters found in car in June.” 8-13-2014. Accessed 7-13-2015 at: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2014/08/coroner-heatstroke-killed-hagerstown-md-woman-and-daughters-found-in-car-in-june-106045.html
Associated Press, Las Vegas (Ken Ritter). “Coroner in Vegas charts spike in summer heat-related deaths.” KSL.com, Salt Lake City, UT, 8-31-2015. Accessed 9-26-2015 at: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=157&sid=36279489&title=coroner-in-vegas-charts-spike-in-summer-heat-related-deaths
Associated Press (Anita Snow and Kendria Lafleur). “Mishmash of how US heat deaths are counted complicates efforts to keep people safe as Earth warms.” 8-13-2023. Accessed 2-14-2024 at: https://apnews.com/article/counting-extreme-heat-deaths-7125ad9a5289625bd9ca312945996399
BakersfieldNow.com. “Coroner: Boy died of heatstroke after wandering into car.” 5-20-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/Coroner-Boy-died-of-heat-stroke-after-wandering-into-car-259899511.html
Baltimore Sun (Justin George). “Morgan football player died of heat stroke, autopsy shows.” 8-25-2014. Accessed 11-20-2015 at: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2014-08-25/news/bs-md-ci-morgan-football-death-20140825_1_benita-meadow-marquese-meadow-heat-stroke
Brooks, Kelton. “Hot car deaths spur invention to remind parents.” Hutchinson News, KS, 8-11-2014, A3. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/kansas/hutchinson/hutchinson-news/2014/08-11/page-3?tag=baby
CBS46.com, WGCL-TV Atlanta. “Toddler dies after getting locked inside car.” 5-12-2014, updated 6-9-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.cbs46.com/story/25496845/toddler-dies-after-getting-locked-inside-car
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Heat-Related Deaths – United States, 1999-2003,” MMWR (Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report), Vol. 55, No. 29, 7-28-2006, pp. 796-798. Accessed 2-16-2024 at: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5529a2.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Compressed Mortality File 1999-2014 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released December 2015. Data are from the Compressed Mortality File 1999-2014 Series 20 No. 2T, 2015, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/cmf-icd10.html on Aug 13, 2016 6:32:26 PM
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2014 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released 2015. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2014, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html on Aug 13, 2016 5:52:29 PM
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System, Mortality 1999-2020 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released in 2021. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2020, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed at http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10.html on Feb 19, 2024 12:52:31 PM T67 and X30 State search.
El Paso Times.com (Adriana M. Chaviz) “Affidavit: El Paso toddler left alone in car for 10 hours.” 8-11-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_26317050/affidavit-girl-left-alone-car-10-hours
EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Climate Change Indicators: Heat-Related Deaths (webpage). 11-1-2023. Accessed 2-7-2024 at:
https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-heat-related-deaths#ref6
Fox4news, Dallas-Fort Worth. “Grandfather charged in N. Richland Hill toddler’s hot-car death.” 7-23-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.fox4news.com/story/26096755/grandfather-charged-in-n-richland-hill-toddlers-hot-car-death
Fox8 News, High Point, NC. “3-year-old boy, dog die after crawling into hot car.” 7-6-2014, updated 7-7-2014. Accessed 7-13-2015 at: http://myfox8.com/2014/07/06/3-year-old-boy-locked-in-hot-car-dies-at-hospital-in-charlotte/
Fox12 Oregon, KPTV (Paul Craig). “Affidavit: Father of baby who died at Intel said ‘I totally forgot she was in my car’.” 3-4-2015, updated 4-1-2015. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.kptv.com/story/28263758/affidavit-father-of-baby-who-died-at-intel-said-i-totally-forgot-she-was-in-my-car
Gazette.Net, Maryland Community News Online (John Wharton). “Manslaughter charge dropped in child’s death at Patuxent River NAS.” 5-8-2015. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.somdnews.com/article/20150508/NEWS/150509472&template=gazette
HLN TV. “Map: Every U.S. hot car child death in 2014.” No date, though there is a note that chronicled are heat-related deaths in vehicles as of August 1, 2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.hlntv.com/interactive/2014/07/08/children-hot-car-deaths-map-2014
KAKE.com, Wichita, KS. “Wichita man sentenced for death of girl left in hot car.” 1-30-2015. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/Seth-Jackson-sentenced-290328801.html
KHON2, Honolulu. “Maui girl dies in locked car with no door handles.” 9-18-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://khon2.com/2014/09/18/maui-girl-dies-in-locked-car-with-no-door-handles/
KidsandCars.org. 2014 Nontraffic Fatalities (as of 6/18/15). “Heatstroke.” 6-8-2015. Accessed 7-11-2015 at: http://www.kidsandcars.org/statistics.html
KJZZ.org (Carrie Jung). “Big Drop in Arizona Heat-Related Deaths in 2014.” 5-8-2015. Accessed 9-5-2015 at: http://kjzz.org/content/136935/big-drop-arizona-heat-related-deaths-2014
KNPR, Las Vegas (Joe Schoenmann). “Deaths From Summer Heat Way up in Southern Nevada.” 7-2-2018. Accessed 2-19-2024 at: https://knpr.org/show/knprs-state-of-nevada/2018-07-02/deaths-from-summer-heat-way-up-in-southern-nevada
Los Angeles Daily News. “3-year-old Sylmar boy who died in a hot car, climbed into the vehicle and was unable to get out.” 8-1-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20140801/3-year-old-sylmar-boy-who-died-in-a-hot-car-climbed-into-the-vehicle-and-was-unable-to-get-out
Maricopa County Department of Public Health. Heat-Associated Deaths in Maricopa County, AZ. Final Report for 2014. Accessed 2-19-2024 at: https://www.maricopa.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/1377
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 2014 Heat-related Illness Surveillance Report. 10-2-2014. Accessed 2-19-2024 at: https://health.maryland.gov/preparedness/Documents/2014%20Summary%20Heat%20Report.pdf
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. “Maryland’s first 2015 heat-related death involved young child left in hot car.” 7-16-2015. Accessed 1-9-2016 at: http://dhmh.maryland.gov/newsroom1/Pages/Maryland-confirms-first-2015-heat-related-death-was-that-of-a-child.aspx
Minnesota Department of Health. Heat-related Deaths: Facts & Figures. 2015. Accessed 11-7-2015 at: https://apps.health.state.mn.us/mndata/heat_deaths
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Excessive Heat, California, Death Valley National Park, July 3, 2014. Accessed 7-11-2015 at: 8-11-2014, http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=536162
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Excessive Heat, Kansas. Sedgwick, July 24, 2014. Accessed 7-11-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=526186
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Excessive Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, 7-1-2014. Accessed 7-11-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=536160
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Arizona, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, June 3, 2014. Accessed 7-11-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=521419
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, California, Death Valley National Park, June 6, 2014. Accessed 7-11-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=521421
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Delaware, Inland Sussex, June 18-19, 2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=527157
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Illinois, McLean, Aug 26, 2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=540131
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, June 8-11-2014. Accessed 7-11-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=521420
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, July 5, 2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=536277
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, July 9, 2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=536278
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, July 17, 2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=536764
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, July 22, 2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=536766
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, Aug 2, 2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=538835
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, Aug 10, 2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=538836
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, Aug 18, 2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=538837
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Tucson Metro Area, Oct 22, 2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=544540
National Climatic Data Center, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, South Carolina, Darlington, May 8, 2014. Accessed 7-11-2015 at: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/eventdetails.jsp?id=517769
National Weather Service, NOAA. 2014 Heat Related Fatalities. 6-10-2015. Accessed 7-11-2015 at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/hazstats/heat14.pdf
Null, Jan (Dept. of Meteorology & Climate Science, San Jose State University). 2014 Child Vehicular Heatstroke Deaths; Total = 30. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.ggweather.com/heat/hyperthermia2014.htm
Null, Jan (Dept. of Meteorology & Climate Science, San Jose State University). Heatstroke Deaths of Children in Vehicles, Monthly Statistics [1998-June 30, 2015]. Accessed 7-11-2015 at: http://noheatstroke.org/monthly_stats.htm
Occupational Safety & Health Administration. FY14 Fatalities and Catastrophes To Date. Washington, DC: OSHA, U.S. Department of Labor, 12-29-2014. Accessed 7-13-2015 at: https://www.osha.gov/dep/fatcat/fy14_federal-state_summaries.pdf
Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Heat Fatalities (Text Version of Map). 8-4-2014 update. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/map.html
Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY. “A Preventable Tragedy. Kids in Hot Cars.” 7-13-2014, B1. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-post-standard/2014/07-13/page-19?tag=baby
San Jose Mercury-News (Robert Salonga). “San Jose: 9-month-old Los Gatos boy who died after father left him in car is identified.” 4-28-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.mercurynews.com/crime-courts/ci_25654823/san-jose-coroner-identifies-9-month-old-los
Statesville Record & Landmark, NC. “SPD: Parents charged in death of infant left in hot car.” 8-4-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.statesville.com/news/spd-parents-charged-in-death-of-infant-left-in-hot/article_d83e42e4-1c47-11e4-928e-0017a43b2370.html
The Ironworker, “In Memoriam,” Vol. 114, No. 7, Aug 2014, p. 9. Accessed 7-13-2015 at: http://www.ironworkers.org/docs/default-source/magazine-pdfs/20005_ironworker_aug2014-final.pdf
Trent, Roger B., Ph.D. (CA Dept. of Health Services). Review of July 2006 Heat Wave Related Fatalities in California. Sacramento, CA: Epidemiology and Prevention for Injury Control Branch, California Department of Health Services, May 2007. Accessed 8-31-2015 at: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/injviosaf/Documents/HeatPlanAssessment-EPIC.pdf
ValleyCentral.com (Sergio Chapa), Harlingen, TX. “Southmost mother charged in baby’s hot car death.” 9-23-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.valleycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=1100313#.VaL850Y9Z14
WBTW News 13 (Eric Walters) Myrtle Beach and Florence, SC. “Parents charged after Florence baby dies from being left in hot car.” 7-9-2014. Accessed 7-13-2015 at: http://wbtw.com/2014/07/09/parents-charged-after-florence-baby-dies-from-being-left-in-hot-car/
Weather Channel. “Derrick Holmon, 5-Year-Old Michigan Boy With Down Syndrome, Found Dead in Neighbor’s Hot Car.” 8-1-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://www.weather.com/news/news/5-year-old-michigan-boy-down-syndrome-found-dead-hot-car-20140712
Weather Channel. “Tragic Summer for Children Left in Hot Cars.” 7-14-2014. Accessed 7-13-2015 at: http://www.weather.com/news/news/tragic-summer-children-left-hot-vehicles-20140710
WZOE 1490 (Paul Bomleny). “Princeton Boy Dies in Hot Car.” 5-27-2014. Accessed 7-12-2015 at: http://wzoe.com/2014/05/27/princeton-boy-dies-in-hot-car/
[1] Our tally of deaths by State is lower than the CDC-Wonder total in that CDC-Wonder does not provide state-specific breakouts where the total is lower than 10.
[2] These CDC-Wonder results relate only to cases where hyperthermia was coded as the primary (direct) cause of death by a medical examiner on a death certificate. “Heat-related” deaths are viewed as those where heat was a contributing (indirect) cause of death, and are not included.
[3] Just three of these deaths were of young children left in cars.
[4] Writes “According to preliminary data from the Arizona Department of Health Services, about 86 people died from exposure to excessive heat last year. That’s down from 151 the year before.” KJZZ is a service of Rio Salado College and Maricopa Community Colleges.
[5] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Arizona, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, June 3, 2014. Notes that a female companion believed to have been with him is still missing.
[6] ABC15, Phoenix (Ashley Loose). “Child dies after being left in hot car in…church parking lot.” 10-6-2014. Identifies victim as Haden Nelson.
[7] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Tucson Metro Area, Oct 22, 2014. Null identifies girl as Isabel Ledo Herrera and the temperature as 89°.
[8] Coroner ruled death of “severely autistic” Fernando Velasquez, as heatstroke. The boy died on May 3, four days after April 29 event. BakersfieldNow.com. “Coroner: Boy died of heatstroke after wandering into car.” 5-20-2014.
[9] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, California, Death Valley National Park, June 6, 2014.
[10] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Excessive Heat, California, Death Valley National Park, July 3, 2014.
[11] We belief this is a reference to Dennis A. Roth, whose “In Memoriam” obituary notes he was born February 18, 1959 and died on the job June 2, 2014. (The Ironworker. Vol. 114, No. 7, Aug 2014, p. 9.)
[12] Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Heat Fatalities (Text Version of Map). 8-4-2014 update. Another OSHA document notes that a steel worker died from heat stress at California Erectors, Inc., at Hanford on June 2. (OSHA. FY14 Fatalities and Catastrophes To Date. 12-29-2014.)
[13] Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Heat Fatalities (Text Version of Map). 8-4-2014 update; and OSHA. FY14 Fatalities and Catastrophes To Date. 12-29-2014.
[14] San Jose Mercury-News. “San Jose: 9-month-old…who died after father left him in car…identified.” 4-28-2014.
[15] LA Daily News. “3-year-old…died in a hot car, climbed into the vehicle and was unable to get out.” 8-1-2014.
[16] Occupational Safety & Health Administration. Heat Fatalities (Text Version of Map). 8-4-2014 update; also, OSHA. FY14 Fatalities and Catastrophes To Date. 12-29-2014. Notes the company was New Horizon Contracting.
[17] Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY. “A Preventable Tragedy.” 7-13-2014, B1. Article notes that father was supposed to drop son off at daycare before going to work. Didn’t. At end of workday discovered son in car.
[18] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Delaware, Inland Sussex, June 18-19, 2014.
[19] Post-Standard, Syracuse. “A Preventable Tragedy.” 7-13-2014, B1. Null identifies victim as Anna Marie Lillie.
[20] Weather Channel. “Tragic Summer for Children Left in Hot Cars.” 7-14-2014. Father charged with felony aggravated manslaughter of a child.
[21] CBS46.com, WGCL-TV Atlanta. “Toddler dies after getting locked inside car.” 5-12-2014, updated 6-9-2014. Victim identified as Julius Meh in Null, 2014 Heatstroke Deaths of Children in Vehicles.
[22] Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY. “A Preventable Tragedy. Kids in Hot Cars.” 7-13-2014, B1. Date of death is from 11Alive.com (Catherine Beck), Atlanta. “Toxicology results released in death of Cooper Harris.” 7-10-2014. The boy’s father, Ross Harris was charged with felony murder and cruelty to a child in the second-degree, and indicted, based on belief that the child was deliberately left in car to die. As of July 12, 2015 he was yet to go to trial.
[23] KHON2, Honolulu. “Maui girl dies in locked car with no door handles.” 9-18-2014.
[24] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Illinois, McLean, Aug 26, 2014. Notes that “high temperatures at the time of his death were in the lower 90s, while heat index values were between 100 and 105. A Heat Advisory was in effect for McLean County at the time.”
[25] WZOE 1490 (Paul Bomleny). “Princeton Boy Dies in Hot Car.” 5-27-2014. According to the article, “After dinner Sunday, Logan asked if he could go play with his tablet. His dad thought Logan had gone upstairs, but he had actually gone to the car to charge the tablet. Two hours later, the boy’s dad and sister went looking for Logan. They found him inside the car, where Wamhoff [Bureau County Coroner, Janice Wamhoff] says it was over 120 degrees.”
[26] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Excessive Heat, Kansas. Sedgwick, July 24, 2014. Identified as Kadillak Poe Jones in Null. A newspaper writes that Seth Jackson, 29, the foster parent, along with another man, was sentenced to 32 months in prison, followed by two years of supervision. “Prosecutors said that on the morning of July 24, Jackson ran out of marijuana. That afternoon, he took his two children to meet with a drug dealer where he bought more. When he arrived home…one child went inside but the 10-month-old was left in the car. It was about 90 degrees outside at the time. The other man told police that after Jackson came home, they both ate pizza and smoked marijuana…” When they went outside two hours later, the child was dead. A coroner ruled the child died from hyperthermia. (KAKE.com, Wichita. “Wichita man sentenced for death of girl left in hot car.” 1-30-2015.)
[27] The freshman identified as Marquese Meadow, and heatstroke is identified as an autopsy finding. (Baltimore Sun (Justin George). “Morgan football player died of heat stroke, autopsy shows.” 8-25-2014.)
[28] AP. “Coroner Heatstroke killed Hagerstown, Md. woman and daughters found in car in June.” 8-13-2014. The “stifling car” was parked for unknown reason in a middle school parking lot. Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the deaths accidental overheating, stating “The formal cause of death was hyperthermia and environmental heat exposure.” “Toxicology tests were negative, leaving investigators with no explanation…why an apparently healthy woman would sit with her small children in a hot car for hours until they died.” A Hagerstown Police Cpt. said “It’s very possible she was having a mental breakdown and didn’t realize what she was doing would cause her death.” “The mother was reclined in the driver’s seat and the girls were strapped in their child seats in the back with the windows closed, the ignition off and the doors unlocked…” Outdoor temperatures peaked near 90°.
[29] Federal prosecutors initially charged the father, John MacDonald Junek, of involuntary manslaughter. Those charges were dropped and he was then charged with illegally confining the boy in the vehicle, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 days in custody. Mr. Junek stated that he forgot to drop his son off at a daycare, and left him in his car until his wife called about six hours later and asked about their son. Gazette.Net, Maryland Community News Online. “Manslaughter charge dropped in child’s death at Patuxent River NAS.” 5-8-2015.
[30] OSHA. FY14 Fatalities and Catastrophes To Date. 12-29-2014.
[31] Weather Channel. “Derrick Holmon, 5-Year-Old Michigan Boy With Down Syndrome, Found Dead in Neighbor’s Hot Car.” 8-1-2014.
[32] There is no date, but the tables in the document are for 2000 to 2014 (May-September). We thus assume 2015.
[33] Cites Clark County, Nevada, Coroner for data on deaths due to “environmental heat stress or hyperthermia.”
[34] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, June 8-11-2014.
[35] Notes “The high temperature reached 112F at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas.”
[36] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, July 5, 2014.
[37] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, July 9, 2014.
[38] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, July 17, 2014.
[39] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, July 22, 2014.
[40] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, Aug 2, 2014.
[41] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, Aug 10, 2014.
[42] NCDC, NOAA. Storm Events Database. Heat, Nevada, Las Vegas Valley, Aug 18, 2014.
[43] Weather Channel. “Tragic Summer for Children Left in Hot Cars.” 7-14-2014.
[44] Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY. “A Preventable Tragedy.” 7-13-2014, B1.
[45] Statesville Record & Landmark, NC. “SPD: Parents charged in death of infant left in hot car.” 8-4-2014. Article writes: “Sherrie Tiesha Clay and Shakee Duquan Robinson, the mother and father of the baby boy, were arrested and charged with one count each of involuntary manslaughter and felony child abuse.”
[46] Weather Channel. “Tragic Summer for Children Left in Hot Cars.” 7-14-2014. Writes that Richard Chastain, who was charged with negligent homicide, “told investigators he intended to take the baby to day care after dropping off his niece (the baby’s mother) at work that morning, but simply forgot she was in the car.”
[47] Fox12 Oregon, KPTV (Paul Craig). “Affidavit: Father of baby who died at Intel said ‘I totally forgot she was in my car’.” 3-4-2015, updated 4-1-2015. Also, Null.
[48] WBTW News 13 (Eric Walters) Myrtle Beach and Florence, SC. “Parents charged after Florence baby dies from being left in hot car.” 7-9-2014. The parents were charged with unlawful neglect of a child.
[49] NCDC. Storm Events Database. Heat, South Carolina, Darlington, May 8, 2015. Notes the girl was accidentally left in car by father and that “The high temperature that day was in the low to mid 90s.” Victim identified as Sophia Goyeneche-Gray in Weather Channel. “Tragic Summer for Children Left in Hot Cars.” 7-14-2014.
[50] Fox8 News, High Point, NC. “3-year-old boy, dog die after crawling into hot car.” 7-6-2014, updated 7-7-2014.
[51] ValleyCentral.com (Sergio Chapa), Harlingen, TX. “Southmost mother charged in baby’s hot car death.” 9-23-2014. Mother arrested on one count of criminally negligent homicide.
[52] “A 2-year-old girl who died last month was left in a car for about 10 hours by her mother, who forgot her after she came home from a night out, according to the woman’s arrest affidavit. El Paso police arrested Daisy Mora Harper, 25, last week on suspicion of injury to a child by omission and criminal negligent homicide in connection with the death of her daughter Hailey Marie Harper on July 6. Harper’s arrest affidavit…states that at about 2 a.m. the mom picked up Hailey and her son from her mother’s house, where she left them before she went out drinking with several family members. According to the affidavit, Harper’s brother offered to take Harper and her children home after Harper argued with her mother, who believed Harper was drunk…Harper’s brother then placed both children in car seats in Harper’s car….” (El Paso Times.com (Adriana M. Chaviz) “Affidavit: El Paso toddler left alone in car for 10 hours.” 8-11-2014.)
[53] Weather Channel. “Tragic Summer for Children Left in Hot Cars.” 7-14-2014.
[54] Grandfather forgot to drop girl off at daycare; left in car about eight hours with temps in low 80s. After four months of medical examiner investigation, grandfather was charged with injury to a child – recklessly by omission. Fox4news, Dallas-Fort Worth. “Grandfather charged in N. Richland Hill toddler’s hot-car death.” 7-23-2014.
[55] ABC13, WSET.com, Lynchburg, Danville, Roanoke, VA. “Child Found Dead in Hot Van Identified.” 9-4-2014.
[56] Cites IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change). 2014.