4-year-old boy dies after being left in hot car in Orange County, deputies say

Bystander found child in parked car at Elite Preparatory Academy

A bystander found a 4-year-old boy in a locked car that was not running on Sept. 28, 2018 in the parking lot at Elite Preparatory Academy on West Oak Ridge Road. The boy later died, deputies said.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A 4-year-old boy who was left in a vehicle Friday at an Orange County school has died, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

The unconscious boy was found by a bystander at 2:25 p.m. in a locked vehicle that was not running, which was parked at Elite Preparatory Academy on West Oak Ridge Road, deputies said. The bystander took the child to Orange County Fire Rescue Station 51, which is across the street from the school near Rio Grande Avenue.

"The child was rushed by that rescue station to Arnold Palmer Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased," sheriff's spokesman Jeff Williamson said.

[RELATED: Child left in hot vehicle in Sanford hours after hot-car death in Orange County]

Deputies didn't say how the bystander was able to get the boy out of the car.

Williamson said everyone involved in the incident has been cooperating with authorities.

"Unfortunately, we know how busy we all get in our life. I'm not excusing people of anything, however. There are ways to remember you have a child in a car. We live in Florida," Williamson said.

In a separate incident on Friday, a 1-year-old girl died after being left in a hot vehicle at a Sanford gas station, authorities said. Click here to read more about that.

The highest temperature in Orlando Friday was 94 degrees.

On average, 37 children die each year as a result of being left in a hot car according to the National Safety Council. This year, 48 children have died in hot-car related incidents, according to public safety advocacy group KidsAndCars.org.

Car manufacturers have been working on technology solutions to prevent hot car deaths. GMC developed rear seat reminders and Nissan plans to install a system to all vehicles by 2022 that will notify drivers if the rear door was opened before a trip but not reopened after the car is parked.


About the Authors:

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

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