GARLAND, Texas - A 5-year-old girl died Tuesday evening after being left inside a vehicle outside a Garland residence, police said.
Garland hot car death
What we know:
The Garland police and fire departments responded to a medical emergency call on Redbird Drive around 8:20 p.m., according to Garland Police Officer Matt Pesta, a public information officer for the department.
First responders took over CPR and lifesaving efforts initiated by family members at the scene. The child was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
An initial investigation revealed an adult family member had returned home from school with the young girl and her sibling. The 5-year-old was inadvertently left inside the vehicle, authorities said.
Family members later realized the child was missing, searched the area, and discovered her unresponsive inside the car before calling 911 and starting CPR.
What they're saying:
"We are now investigating the death of this child," Pesta said. ""In a nutshell, she was left in a vehicle, and we’re investigating the circumstances behind that — how that happened, how long, and things like that. But from what we know right now, she was in a vehicle and went into a medical emergency and passed away from that medical emergency."
Officer Pesta confirmed that the little girl had been in the vehicle for several hours on a day when there was an Extreme Heat Warning issued for North Texas.
"It’s very important if you find yourself in a situation where you have children with you in the back. Before you get out of that vehicle, you have to double-check," he said. "You cannot just leave that vehicle turned off in this kind of environment with the weather being so hot."
What we don't know:
It's not yet clear if anyone will face charges for the child's death as Garland police continue to investigate the full sequence of events leading up to the tragedy.
Officer Pesta could not answer any questions about whether the girl was found still in a booster seat, whether the vehicle was locked, or why no one realized she was missing until several hours later.
A medical examiner will conduct a full autopsy to determine her exact cause of death, he said.
Police added that community counseling services will be offered to the victim's family.
The Source: Information in this article is from the Garland Police Department.