In two separate incidents occurring within just 24 hours in Texas, two young children tragically lost their lives after being left in hot cars. The deaths of a nine-month-old in Beeville and a 22-month-old in Corpus Christi have sparked renewed conversations about child safety and the risks associated with leaving children unattended in vehicles, particularly during the scorching Texas summer.
One incident took place in Beeville, Texas, located about 100 miles southeast of San Antonio. On Wednesday, a nine-month-old child was found unresponsive in a car after being left by the grandmother for nearly eight hours. The Beeville Police Department released a statement detailing the heartbreaking event, noting that the child was discovered around 4 p.m. in the child safety seat of the grandmother’s vehicle. The child had been in the car since approximately 8:30 a.m.
Despite the grandmother’s discovery and immediate call for help, the child could not be revived. The Texas Rangers and the Department of Public Safety are assisting the Beeville police in their investigation. No charges have been filed yet, but authorities indicated that charges are expected as the investigation progresses.
Another incident, just one day earlier, involved a 22-month-old toddler named Harley Adame in Corpus Christi, Texas. According to the Corpus Christi Police Department, the child’s mother, Hilda Adame, a middle-school teacher, forgot to drop Harley off at daycare on her way to work. Harley was left inside a parked SUV outside the local school from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., during which time temperatures outside soared into the triple digits.
When Hilda realized her mistake, she rushed to the vehicle, removed Harley from the car, and took her into the school’s nurse’s office, where CPR was attempted. Unfortunately, by the time medics and police arrived, Harley could not be saved.
This incident is being treated as a criminal homicide. The Corpus Christi police have already arrested Hilda Adame, 33, charging her with injury to a child and abandonment.
These two cases bring the total number of child hot car deaths in Texas this year to three, with the first death occurring in July. According to Kids and Car Safety, at least 27 children have died in hot cars across the United States in 2024 alone. Texas leads the nation in such deaths, with at least 157 child fatalities from hot cars recorded between 1990 and 2023.
Dr. Jan Null, a meteorologist who has extensively studied the phenomenon of vehicular heatstroke, emphasizes that even a few minutes in a hot car can be deadly for a child. “Temperatures inside a vehicle can reach lethal levels within just minutes, especially in places like Texas where summer heat can be extreme,” Dr. Null explained. “These deaths are 100% preventable, yet they continue to happen because of simple mistakes that can have devastating consequences.”
Authorities and child safety advocates have long urged parents and caregivers to take extra precautions to ensure children are not left behind in vehicles. Some suggested measures include placing a necessary item like a purse or phone in the back seat as a reminder, setting a timer on your phone to check the car, or using technology that alerts drivers when a child is still in the vehicle.
As investigations into both the Beeville and Corpus Christi cases continue, authorities are likely to pursue legal action against those responsible. Meanwhile, communities across Texas are left grappling with the senseless loss of these young lives and the stark reminder of the dangers that come with high temperatures and distracted driving.