9 year old Texas girl dies hot car death after being left unattended by her mother at a Galena Park parking lot to go work an 8 hour shift amid 97 Fahrenheit temperatures as the parent is now likely to face charges.
A nine-year-old Texas girl died after being left inside a sweltering car by her mother while she went to work an 8 hour shift on Tuesday.
The 36-year-old mom left her 9 year old daughter in the backseat of her Toyota Camry at an industrial parking lot while going to work from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. at United States Gypsum in Galena Park on Tuesday.
Did mom check in on 9 year old daughter during her 8 hour shift?
The un-named mother, whose position at the construction manufacturing company is unknown, reportedly left the child with ‘some water, the windows partially down, and proceeded to go to work for the day,’ according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Authorities said it was unclear whether the mother had returned to check on the girl prior to the end of her shift.
‘I don’t know if anyone checked on the child throughout the day,’ Gonzalez said.
Harris County authorities were contacted by the ‘frantic’ mother at 2:06 p.m upon returning to the vehicle following the end of her work day.
First responders arrived at the scene around 2.18 p.m. and attempted CPR and other life-saving measures, KPRC-TV reported.
The child was then transported to a local hospital- where she was pronounced dead.
‘A nine-year-old beautiful little girl has lost her life by no fault of her own,’ the Harris County Sheriff said.
What childcare arrangements were available to mother?
‘This case appears unique — most of the time, cases like these are due to people forgetting. Here, the child was left knowingly,’ Sheriff Gonzalez added.
The official confirmed that the mother was detained, with charges likely pending following the release of autopsy results.
The white, four-door sedan had been parked in an unshaded area of the gated warehouse parking lot, where outside temperatures reached a scorching 97 degrees by the afternoon.
‘The temperature is extremely high, as we know – I think it’s at least 97 degrees,’ Gonzalez said. ‘Any amount of time can be very dangerous and even fatal for a small child. A child’s temperature increases at a much higher rate than an adult’s.’
‘You can be sympathetic to her situation,’ he added, noting that it’s still unclear whether lack of childcare or family issues played a role in the decision. ‘It’s never acceptable to leave a child in the car.
‘You’ve got to make other arrangements, whether it be with your employer. It’s just not worth it to put a child at risk like this for any particular reason. If you have hardships, by all means, work with neighbors, family, and social service agencies.’
Did mother’s employer offer childcare amenities?
Gonzalez said the sheriff’s office is continuing its investigation before any formal charges are filed.
USG Corp. spokesperson Kathleen Prause confirmed the tragedy in a statement issued Tuesday night.
‘I can confirm a medical emergency occurred today at a USG plant in Galena Park, TX, involving the child of an employee. Our thoughts are with the family of the child and all those impacted.
‘Our top priority is always the safety and well-being of USG team members and our community. We are monitoring the situation closely and are cooperating fully with local authorities as they respond and conduct their investigation. We will provide updates as appropriate.’
It remained unclear what onsite childcare ammenities the company offered workers, if any.
Commentators on the web wondered why the girl hadn’t just gotten out of the car, if she was handicapped or had been instructed to remain in the car until the parent returned. Others questioned if the girl had suddenly passed out before being able to safely get out of the vehicle.
While others wondered whether the child had been lulled into a false sense of safety after being left with snacks and water by her mother. While others, including this author wondered if the child was often left un-attended in the car by the parent, without prior incidents.
Doctors warn that children can become dangerously overheated in hot cars within minutes.
‘Once you start getting to a body core temperature higher than 102, 104, or higher, that can cause significant damage to the brain, organs,’ Dr. Anthony Arredondo of Texas Children’s Hospital told KHOU11. ‘So it’s hard to say what time frame—the longer they are in there, the worse it is.’
According to the National Safety Council, an average of 38 children die each year after being left in hot cars.
