A child died from being left in a hot car and a Florida man was arrested. Why children are so vulnerable (2024)

Florida is second in nation for hot car deaths

A 6-year-old girl died in Bradenton in May after being left in a hot car for just over two hours with the windows up. Hospital staff reportedly measured her body core temperature at 107.2 degrees.

Markise Outing, 24, of Ellenton was arrested Tuesday and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child for leaving his girlfriend's daughter in the car parked outside his place of business, according to a release from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. Officials said Outing took her to a fire department station for medical attention and she was rushed to a hospital for "advanced care." She died there.

Outing initially said the child got overheated playing at a park, the release said.

Since 1990, at least 1,083 children have died in hot vehicles in the U.S., according to a study released in May from the nonprofit advocacy group "Kids and Car Safety," averaging 38 per year. 2018 and 2019 were the worst, with 54 and 53 deaths respectively. And Florida nearly tops the list.

How many hot car deaths are there in Florida?

From 1990 to 2023, Florida was second in the nation in hot car deaths with 118 fatalities, the report said.

The third state on the list, California, had just over half that many. Texas had the most, with 155.

Why do people leave kids in hot cars?

By mistake, mostly. The heat inside a parked car can rise 20 degrees in just 10 minutes even on cool days, and children absorb heat up to five times faster than adults, the Florida Department of Children and Families said.

All it takes is a distracted caregiver. According to the report, over half of the children who died in the U.S. from 1990 to 2023 were left in the vehicle by accident.

"In most situations, this happens to loving, caring, and protective parents," Kids and Care Safety says on its website. "It has happened to a teacher, dentist, social worker, police officer, nurse, clergyman, soldier, and even a rocket scientist. It can happen to anyone."

Nearly half the time when a child was left in a car by mistake, the caregiver meant to drop the child off at a daycare or preschool, according to Jan Null of NoHeatStroke.org. Most hot car deaths happen on Thursday and Friday, toward the end of many people's work week.

Children getting into vehicles on their own, which accounted for 25% of the national car deaths, mostly happened on weekends.

Nearly a third of the national total were infants less than a year old, the Kids and Car Safety report said.

In Florida, where temperatures can hit the 80s and above for more than half the year, the percentages were:

• 67%: Unknowingly left in the vehicle
• 15%: Gained access themselves
• 15%: Were knowingly left
• 3%: Unknown

Are children more vulnerable to heat?

"A child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s," said Connie Kostacos, assistant professor of pediatrics at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Children have less surface area compared to adults and they absorb heat faster, she said. They also cool down more slowly because they haven't yet finished developing their sweating mechanisms and they have lower blood volume compared to adults,

How to prevent child car deaths

• Be sure to check the back seat before you leave the vehicle.
• Put your purse, briefcase, lunch, or anything else you're carrying in the backseat to force you to look back there before you lock the door.
• Never leave a child alone in your vehicle. Rolling the windows down or parking in the shade doesn't change the inner temperature of the vehicle much.
• Don't let your children play near vehicles in case they accidentally lock themselves in. Always lock your vehicles when leaving them in your driveway.
• Be aware of changes in plans involving anywhere your child is dropped off somewhere. If your child is being dropped off for you, have them call you at drop off so you know everyone made it safely.

What do I do if I see a child locked in a car?

"If you see a child alone in a locked car, act immediately and call 911," said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled."

Florida lawprotects people who break into vehicles to rescue vulnerable people or pets from harm as long as:

• There's no way for the person or pet to get out
• They have a reasonable belief that the person or pet is in imminent danger of suffering harm
• They have contacted law enforcement or 911 either before or immediately after breaking in
• They use no more force to do so than necessary to remove the person or pet
• They remain with the person or pet in a safe location near the vehicle until law enforcement or a first responder arrives

Any law enforcement officer who sees a child left unattended in these conditions may use "whatever means are reasonably necessary" to protect the child.

Can parents be charged if they leave a child locked in a car in Florida?

Leaving a child younger than 6 unsupervised in a motor vehicle for more than 15 minutes is a second-degree misdemeanor, according to Florida Statutes. If the motor is running, the health of the child is in danger or appears to be in distress, the caregiver can be fined from $50 to $500.

If the child suffers "great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement," it's a third-degree felony with fines up to $5,000 and prison time up to 10 years.

What is Hot Car Awareness Month?

This year the Florida Legislature enacted "Ariya's Act" to designate April as "Hot Car Prevention Month" and raise awareness of the dangers of leaving children in motor vehicles unattended. The bill encourages different agencies to sponsor events and education on what can happen, how to avoid it, and the penalties.

The act was named for 10-month-old Ariya Paige, who died in Baker County last July after her babysitter left her in a hot SUV for hours.

Editor's note: The man arrested was from Ellonton and not as originally reported.