4-year-old Houston boy dies after being left in hot car, Texas police say

A 4-year-old girl died after being left in the back of a hot vehicle, Texas police told media.

Emergency services were called to a Houston apartment complex around 6:30 p.m. on July 3 about a child left in a car suffering from heat-related illness, KPRC reported, citing police.

Authorities said they believe the girl was left unattended in a van for about an hour before 911 was called, KTRK reported.

Click to resize

Reports indicate that outdoor temperatures in Houston reached 34 degrees Celsius that day. Indoor temperatures would likely have been higher.

The child was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead, the Houston Police Department said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Police said it appeared the child was left in the back seat as the two women and other children she was with unloaded the truck and got inside, KTRK and KRIV reported.

Police said the investigation was ongoing.

No charges have been filed in connection with the child’s death, media reported.

The Hot Car Temperature Calculator can be used to estimate how hot the interior of a vehicle can get based on location, weather conditions, and car characteristics.

What You Need to Know About Hot Car Deaths

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 950 children have died in hot cars since 1998.

“About 40 children die each year from heatstroke, either because they were abandoned or trapped in a car,” authorities said. “That’s about one child killed every 10 days in a hot car.”

Heat-related deaths are most common in the summer, but they can happen at any time, the administration said. The first “automobile heatstroke” of the year typically occurs in March.

“Leaving a window open isn’t enough: Temperatures inside the car can rise nearly 20 degrees Fahrenheit in the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

If you see a child alone in a vehicle, authorities say you should make sure the child is responsive and, if not, call 911 immediately.