15-Month-Old Dies in Hot Car in Connecticut

A 15-month-old boy died in Ridgefield, Conn., after being left inside a parked car on a hot summer day, the police said on Tuesday.

The boy’s death was reported to the police around 6 p.m. on Monday by the staff at Danbury Hospital, where the boy’s father drove after discovering his son in his vehicle, said Capt. Jeff Kreitz of the town’s Police Department.

“It was reported to our agency that an infant was left unattended in a parked vehicle within the Town of Ridgefield for an extended period of time,” Captain Kreitz said.

The boy’s family lived in Ridgefield, Captain Kreitz said. The office of the chief medical examiner has not determined the cause of death, he said.

The police would not release additional information because the investigation was still in progress, Captain Kreitz said. He did not identify the child or the location of the car. The temperature reached 88 degrees on Monday in Ridgefield, which is on the Connecticut border with New York State.

Outside the Police Department, Barbara Baughman, 59, handed out window decals that were intended to serve as reminders to parents to check for children and pets before leaving their cars.

Ms. Baughman, a Ridgefield resident, said her family had endured a terrifying experience more than a decade ago, when her then-one-year-old child, Emma, was left in a hot car for 45 minutes.

The girl survived because one of the car’s windows was open, Mrs. Baughman said, but the experience rattled the family.

“I don’t know the circumstances,” she said of the child’s death on Monday. She said she thought the police were being very cautious about releasing information on the case.

“My heart goes out to them though; I’m sure it’s devastating for them,” she said of the family. Earlier on Tuesday, the Connecticut State Police released a statement that warned parents not to leave their children in hot cars.



Kristin Hussey contributed reporting from Ridgefield, Conn.