A one-year-old child was found unresponsive inside a hot car parked outside a Tennessee daycare center on a scorching afternoon with temperatures in the 90s.
Memphis Police Department officers responded Thursday at Education is the Key Children’s Center in North Memphis. When they arrived at the daycare around 2:30 p.m., they discovered the toddler in the backseat of an SUV.
He was rushed to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in critical condition, where he died a short time later. According to Fox 13, it was the first hot car death in the city this year.
Police say the boy was picked on by a staff member at the daycare, who allegedly forgot he was in the vehicle. The employee worked a full day, only realizing the toddler was still in his van when he returned at the end of his shift.
Two people were arrested in connection with the incident, but have since been released, police said Friday. No criminal charges have yet been filed.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
Further details, including the child’s name, were not immediately released, but his parents were informed. His death came as a heat wave swept through the area.
This weekend, more than 60% of the nation will experience temperatures in the 90s.
The daycare, Education is the Key Children’s Center, can accommodate up to 111 children
With Newswire Services