On July 22, a tragic incident occurred in Birmingham, Alabama, where a three-year-old child named K.J. was left unattended in a hot car for several hours and tragically passed away. The Department of Human Resources confirmed that the child was left in the care of an employee contracted by the agency.
According to the Medical Examiner’s Office in Jefferson County, K.J. was forgotten in the car outside a residence in Birmingham for an extended period in scorching temperatures that ranged from 93 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit. The child was left alone in the car from around 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm on that day.
The child’s attorney, Courtney French, expressed deep shock and disbelief at the tragic incident, stating that it is incomprehensible for a toddler to be left in a hot car and for the caregiver to completely forget about their presence.
The weather at the time was humid, with temperatures ranging from 93 to 96 degrees Fahrenheit, and the heat index was between 101 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat index combines temperature and humidity to determine how hot it feels in the shade.
K.J.’s family revealed that an employee of a contracted company picked up K.J. from daycare around 9 am that day, met with the child’s father under supervision, and concluded around 11:30 am. This meeting was part of the court-ordered process for K.J.’s parents to regain custody.
French explained that instead of immediately returning K.J. to daycare after the meeting, the employee placed the child in the backseat of her car in a car seat and proceeded to attend to personal matters, leaving K.J. unattended in the car.
The employee returned home around 12:30 pm, leaving K.J. inside the car with all the windows closed and the engine turned off. The child remained in the car for over five hours until daycare contacted the caregiver, inquiring why K.J. hadn’t returned.
It was only then that the employee realized K.J. was still in the car and emergency services were called. Unfortunately, K.J. was pronounced dead at 6:03 pm.
French emphasized that if K.J. had been with his parents, this tragic incident could have been prevented. K.J.’s father described him as a smart and joyful child who brought happiness to everyone with his knowledge of numbers, colors, and animals.
This heartbreaking incident marks the first hot car death in Alabama this year and the 16th in the United States in 2025, highlighting the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles.
The authorities have taken the employee into custody for questioning at the Birmingham Police Headquarters. The child, K.J., was from Bessemer in Jefferson County.
(Information sourced from CNN)