Another baby has died in NJ this week after being left in hot car

EAST HANOVER — Another infant has died after being left in a car in New Jersey.

Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said East Hanover Police were called after a 6- month-old girl was noticed inside a vehicle parked in a parking lot on South Ridgedale Avenue at Route 10 in East Hanover around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 17. She was pronounced dead at a hospital.

At the nearby Basking Ridge weather station, at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, the temperature was 91 degrees, according to New Jersey 101.5 Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow. The thick humidity pushed the heat index to 101 at the time with an excessive heat warning in effect for the entire state calling for dangerous conditions.

Carroll did not disclose how long the child was left inside the vehicle. A cause of death has yet to be determined.

The girl's mother was also taken to a hospital for an undisclosed treatment, according to Carroll. No charges have been filed in the case.

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Preventing tragedy

An 8-week-old girl died Monday afternoon after being left unattended inside her father's vehicle outside a Hebrew school in Lakewood. The infant was left for "an extended period of time," which killed her, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said.

According to the group Kids and Car Safety, the girl is at least the 14th child to die inside a hot car in the United States this year.

Being left inside a car longer than 10 minutes can be fatal. The temperature inside a vehicle can rise significantly even with cooler temperatures outside with the majority of the temperature rise occurring within the first 15 to 30 minutes.

How to remind yourself about kids in the car

Kids and Car Safety has tips to help remind drivers to check the back seat for children.

🚗 Make sure your child is never left alone in a car.

🚗 Place the child’s diaper bag or item in the front passenger seat as a visual cue that the child is with you.

🚗 Make it a habit of opening the back door every time you park to ensure no one is left behind. To enforce this habit, place an item that you can’t start your day without in the back seat (employee badge, laptop, phone, handbag, etc.)

🚗 Ask your childcare provider to call you right away if your child hasn’t arrived as scheduled.

🚗 Clearly announce and confirm who is getting each child out of the vehicle. Miscommunication can lead to thinking someone else removed the child.