A 2-year-old child died in the backseat of a sweltering car in Florida while in the care of a babysitter — just miles away from where another toddler met the same fate a week earlier, according to police.
The unidentified toddler was rushed to a hospital ”unconscious and not breathing” by the babysitter early Sunday afternoon in Hollandale Beach, Florida, as a heat wave swept across the country, according to 911 audio recordings obtained by WSVN.
The car was parked outside the house of the babysitter who was supposed to be taking care of the child, according to the Hollandale Beach Police Department, which was alerted to the death by the hospital.
It was not immediately clear how long the child was in the vehicle. However, temperatures reached 90 degrees on Sunday – with heat indexes reaching near 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service, the Miami Herald reported.
The investigation into the tragedy is ongoing and the Florida State Attorney’s Office will determine whether the babysitter will face any charges, police said.
Neighbor Theresa Ogden was disturbed that someone responsible for a child could leave them in a car.
“I couldn’t get over that,” she said. “It’s just unbelievable. How can you just get out of your car and not know that you have a baby?”
“An innocent baby,” said Ogden. “It’s awful.”
Hallandale Police Chief Michel urged “every parent, grandparent, guardian, babysitter, and caregiver to make it a habit of checking the back seat before locking your vehicle.
“A simple routine, such as placing your phone, purse, or another essential item in the back seat, can serve as a reminder and help prevent an unimaginable loss. One last look can save a child’s life,” he said in a statement provided to The Post.
Sunday’s death happened less than 20 miles from a daycare center where a father left his 18-month-old son in the back of a car just a week earlier.
The dad mistakenly thought he dropped the boy off at A World of Discovery Academy, an early childhood education center in Plantation, and went to work — and only found the child dead hours later in the backseat when he went to pick him up and realized he wasn’t there.
That death also remains under investigation.
Four children have died in hot cars in Florida so far this year, with Sunday’s death marking the 10th nationwide, according to the nonprofit Kids and Car Safety, which tracks such incidents.
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