A North Carolina mother is now facing charges for involuntary manslaughter for losing her 8- year-old son in a hot car death.
The mother, Ashlee Stallings, is facing serious felonious charges for leaving her daughter inside the car while was at work. This fatal incident yet again highlights the real dangers of leaving young children in cars alone during high temperatures.
Swift Emergency Response To The 8-Year-Old Girl
On June 26, on a Wednesday night, Charlotte- Mecklenburg Police Department officers took a distress call for help regarding a young child that was reportedly left alone and in a critical condition in a vehicle in Charlotte.
The police officers quickly arrived at the scene and discovered an 8- year-old girl who wasn't responsive. She was swiftly taken to the closest community hospital, where she was declared departed Thursday morning, according to the arrest leave affidavit.
As per the police report, Ashlee Stallings, a 36- year-old mother, apparently abandoned her daughter in the vehicle while she was working.
Stallings allegedly informed authorities that she had left the car running with the air conditioning on, thinking her daughter had turned it off due to feeling cold. The temperatures in Charlotte reached the high 90s on that day.
North Carolina Mother's Involuntary Manslaughter Charge
Likewise, the affidavit has bared distressing information about the last moments before the child's passing.
Stallings discovered her daughter lying on the backseat floor, breathing lightly and foaming at the mouth, around ninety minutes after receiving her last text.
In a last-ditch effort to rescue her, Stallings smashed the rear window with a hammer and tried to drive to a hospital but pulled over seeking assistance at a nearby business.
Hospital staff found that the girl endured brain herniation from hyperthermia, a result of excessively high body temperature.
After the death of her child, Stallings was taken into custody and indicted of involuntary manslaughter and purposeful child abuse resulting in serious injury.
According to court documents, she's presently confined in the Mecklenburg County Detention Center on a bond set at$ 250,000, and her forthcoming court appearance is set for July 16.
Hot Car Death Across the Country
Amazon, where Stallings works, verified her job at their site and said they're collaborating with the current inquiry. Amazon offered their sympathies in a statement and noted that they're offering support services to their workers during this grueling period.
Amazon issued a statement describing the incident as extremely heartbreaking and stated they're providing support to their workers and making counseling resources easily accessible during this grueling period.
According to kiddies and Car Safety, this is the fifth hot car death reported in the United States in 2022.
The National Weather Service cautions that in just half an hour, a car can heat up to a fatal temperature of 124 degrees Fahrenheit when the weather is 90 degrees, pressing the serious peril of leaving children alone in vehicles.
The inquiry is still in progress, with the community grieving the loss and advocating for further awareness and preventative measures to help a similar tragedy from passing again.
