A two-year-old child, locked inside a parked vehicle with the windows rolled up for almost three hours, in above 100 degree weather, was reported dead at the Lovelace Westside hospital, in Albuquerque, NM around 1:30 pm, apparently succumbing to heat stroke. The mother arrived at the Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute, on North Coors Road, around 9:30 am with two of her children, aged four and two. She took the older child with her to an appointment and did not return until around 12:15 pm, at which point she attempted to resuscitate the unconscious toddler. By the time paramedics arrived on scene the child was described as purple and non-responsive to medical interventions.
The mother was taken into custody for questioning, and the vehicle was towed pending search warrants being issues to gather evidence. Authorities indicate that the mother will most likely face charges of child abuse. Independent investigations by the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) are also being conducted concerning the status of the mother.
In the summer months, people frequently underestimate how high the temperature can rise inside of enclosed spaces, like cars. Scientifically speaking, the glass windows of a car can like a greenhouse, trapping heat and causing the internal temperatures to shoot up as high as 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Just recently a similar incident was reported with a Labrador locked inside a locked car in Pennsylvania that managed to honk for help, before it was too late.
While it would never be a good idea to leave a child locked inside a car, even in more temperate climates, this situation is all the more tragic because there are a variety of fairly simple, even cheap technologies which could potentially prevent this kind of situation. Of course, most of us have those reflective shades, and when used properly, they can reduce the amount of thermal energy that builds up in the car. However, they are not always particularly effective, as many people find out, because the shades seldom cover all the windows, and heat can also build up and get tranferred through the metal surfaces of the vehicle. Therefore, a more effective technology is often needed, like a solar-powered automobile ventilation fan, such as the one at the link just provided. These devices, which cost in the neighborhood of $20 to $30, fit on the top edge of a slightly rolled down window and, with direct sunlight to power the fans, can drop the temperature considerably. However, because some people have reported mixed results with these smaller gadgets, several automobile manfacturers, such as Toyota, have announced that much more sophisticated and powerful ventilation systems will be included in 2010 models of the Prius, for example. Still, as noted, the best solution would not be to leave any young person or animal unattended, whether one has the new Prius or not.
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