Last week the Carthage Missouri Police Department responded to a home in the 100 block of N. Maple in Carthage. A child was found unresponsive inside a hot vehicle. The investigation shows the child got in the vehicle on her own, but could not get back out.
The 3-year-old died in a Springfield hospital the next day. As of now, no charges have been filed.
She was the 16th hot car death of a child in 2022. Wednesday a child in Fort Smith, Ark. died from being trapped in a hot car. Authorities are awaiting the findings of an autopsy. It could be the 17th death because of hot car entrapment. In 2021 a non-profit group that tracks these catastrophes say that 23 children died in a vehicle and almost all could have been prevented. Technology is being developed that would help prevent these needless deaths. Until then we all will have to be diligent and aware of how senseless and preventable these deaths are
