Charleston child injury attorneys want to remind the public to watch their children and exercise good sense when leaving children unattended in vehicles as temperatures soar during the hottest months of summer. A 35-year old Charleston Woman was charged with Unlawful Conduct towards a child when she left her infant inside a car parked on King Street while she shopped.
A passerby noticed the infant inside the vehicle and went into a nearby store to find the driver. The temperatures reported that day were 88 degrees with a heat index of 105 degrees at the time. Unable to find the driver, the store clerks alerted the Police and were attempting to get into the car when Charleston Police arrived. The woman returned a short while later and was taken into custody. She claimed that she had picked up the infant earlier in the day and had forgotten that the child was in the car.
Leaving a child or pet in a hot vehicle can induce hyperthermia, or the overheating of the body. Even left for a couple of minutes can bring on a rapid rise in core temperature than can be fatal for a young child. Parents should be especially vigilant during summer months when the heat and daily tasks can be especially distracting. A study published by the San Fransisco State University put the number of fatalities from being left in an overheated car between 1998-2010 at 465.