A father killed himself after he learned that he left his 18-month-old son in an overheated car for up to three hours while at work. When he realized his horrific mistake, he returned home with the dead child, took the child inside, walked out of the back door, and shot himself.
According to The Sun, police learned about the double tragedy when they received a tip about a suicidal man in Chesterfield, Virginia, on Tuesday afternoon. On the way to the man's home, the police received a second call from one of the father's family members, saying there may be a deceased child in the house. The family member told the police that the 18-month-old child was never dropped off at the daycare center.
Police think the father may have told the family member that he left the child in the car for three hours and was making suicidal statements. When the cops arrived at the man's home, they found a car in the driveway with one of the backdoors open and an empty car seat inside. When they went inside, they found the remains of the 18-month-old boy. The cops found the man dead in the family's backyard with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Double tragedy
Chesterfield Police Lt Col Christopher Hensley said that at some point during the day, the father, who was found deceased, left the child in the car for a period causing the child's death. He returned home, took the child inside, and shot himself.
Hensley said that it is a horrible tragedy on so many levels. He added that their hearts go out to the bereaved family and friends but noted that they would be remiss in not taking the opportunity to remind people of the importance of checking your vehicles before leaving them, The Independent says.
Neither the father nor the toddler's identities have been released. The police said they have remained in contact with the dead child's mother and other family members as they continue their investigation.
Pediatric hot car deaths
According to NY Post, the toddler is the seventh child to die from being left inside a hot car and the 914th since 1998. On average, the National Safety Council (NSC) says that 38 children under 15 die from heatstroke after being left in a car. Children are most vulnerable as their body temperatures rise much more quickly than adults. They suffer from heat stroke when temperatures reach 104 degrees.
Most pediatric hot car deaths happen because the caregiver forgets the child.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that caregivers never leave children unattended in a car, even if the air conditioner is on or the windows are open. NHTSA also advises making it a habit to check the front and the back of the car before leaving it. To make sure that children are not left unattended in the car, place a personal item that you often carry, such as a purse or briefcase, in the backseat to ensure that someone checks there before walking away, CNN says.
