In Smithtown, Long Island, New York, a 14-month-old toddler tragically lost her life after being carelessly left in a car for eight hours.
The Suffolk County police have reported that the toddler’s grandmother, who was tasked with dropping the child off at a daycare center on Redwood Lane, inadvertently left her in the car when she went to work. The grim realization occurred when the grandmother returned to her jeep with the intention of fetching the child from the daycare.
The toddler, named Chyasia Evans, was rushed to a nearby medical facility, where her death was confirmed.
A subsequent vigil at the incident’s location saw Chyasia’s mother, Jessica Watkins, expressing her sorrow, referring to her daughter as a guardian angel.
Additional details from the child’s aunt revealed that by the time Chyasia was found, her body temperature had reached 106 degrees. It was also noted that the daycare center did not communicate to the family about the child’s absence. Smithtown’s temperature on that day peaked at 83 degrees.
The Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad is currently examining the circumstances surrounding the incident. Presently, no legal actions have been initiated in relation to Chyasia’s death.
The US Department of Transportation’s data indicates that nearly 40 children in the US face fatal heatstroke each year due to being inadvertently left in vehicles. Typically, these incidents involve an oversight by parents or caregivers.