A 23-month-old boy died on Monday after his father allegedly forgot to drop him off at a daycare in Plantation, Florida, and left him in his car for hours. Authorities responded to a report of a deceased child at A World of Discovery Academy at approximately 5:39 p.m. Upon arrival, officers and firefighters confirmed the toddler had died in the backseat of his father's vehicle.
The father reportedly arrived at the daycare to pick up his son, only for staff to inform him that the child had not been dropped off that morning. It was then that the father realized the child had been in the car all day. The owner and director of the daycare, Leslie Novoa, told NBC6 that she has known the parents for about six years and described them as "great parents. Very nurturing, very loving parents."
The exact duration the toddler spent in the car and the sequence of events are under investigation by the Plantation Police Department. It is unclear if the father will face charges.
Temperatures in Plantation reached a high of 97°F on Monday. The National Weather Service states that interior vehicle temperatures can reach 120°F within minutes and approach 150°F in an hour on hot days, which can cause heat stroke rapidly, particularly in children, whose body temperatures rise three to five times faster than adults. The NWS recommends the "Look Before You Lock" campaign to remind individuals to check their back seats before leaving vehicles unattended.
This incident marks the third reported hot car death in Florida this year and the ninth nationwide. Since 1990, Florida has recorded at least 126 such fatalities, making it the state with the second-highest number of hot car deaths, following Texas. Nationwide, at least 1,181 hot car deaths have been recorded over the same period.