A set of 11-month-old twins were left inside of their father’s vehicle before they were discovered three hours later in the middle of his workday.
According to CBS 42, two 11-month-olds were found in their father’s van on September 27 after his wife called to check on their children. Calhoun County Coroner Pat Brown told CBS 42 that he believes the children were in the van from 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
He also believes that the incident that claimed one of the twins’ lives was an accident:
“All indications seem that this is a tragic accident. No one can fathom the way this family feels and I especially want to make sure that people are sympathetic to this family and that they get all the facts before they pass judgment.”
However, despite the indications pointing to an accident, Oxford Police Chief Bill Partridge shared a statement on Facebook saying that an investigation is ongoing:
Criminal investigations division is currently working a death investigation. Two infants were left in a parked car today. One infant is deceased. This is ongoing and no other info is available at this time.
As CBS 42 reports, the mother of the two children called her husband when she received a call from their day care center asking if their children would be coming in that day because they had not arrived yet.
By the time the father and first responders were able to reach the children in the van, temperatures had already climbed into the 90s. Sadly, their son had passed away, while their daughter was transferred to a nearby hospital where she is recovering.
The little boy’s passing is the 44th hot car death to occur in the United States this year. As Kids and Cars reports, “even the best of parents or caregivers can unknowingly leave a sleeping baby in a car; and the end result can be injury or even death.”
And here are some tips Kids and Cars offer to help even the busiest of parents avoid making that mistake:
- Make it a habit of opening the back door every time you park to ensure no one is left behind.
- To enforce this habit, place an item that you can’t start your day without in the back seat ‐ employee badge, laptop, phone, handbag, etc.
- Ask your child care provider to call you right away if your child hasn’t arrived as scheduled.
- Clearly announce and confirm who is getting each child out of the vehicle. Miscommunication can lead to everyone thinking someone else removed the child.
It’s also important to make sure an idle car remains locked at all times so that a curious child can’t wander into a vehicle unnoticed.