A three-year-old boy opened the door and climbed into a parked van on his family’s property — only to tragically lose his life inside the vehicle
A THREE-year-old boy was found dead inside a broken-down van after apparently climbing into the vehicle by himself during a brutal heatwave.
One of the toddler’s young siblings made the horror discovery after the family realized he was missing, authorities said.
A three-year-old boy died after getting trapped in a van during a heatwaveCredit: WAFB9
Authorities believe the child got trapped and couldn’t open the doorCredit: WAFB9
The tragedy unfolded at a home on Navaho Trail in Pegram, Tennessee, on Tuesday afternoon.
Investigators believe the little boy managed to get inside the van before shutting the door behind him but was then unable to get back out.
The vehicle did not run and had been sitting on the family’s property, according to the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office.
Lt Shannon Heflin said: “It doesn’t run, but it just sits on the property, but somehow the child got into the van, was able to shut the door behind him. We don’t think the child was able to get the door open once they got inside.”
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Authorities said the boy had been taking a nap before he went missing.
Preliminary information indicates other children in the home later woke from their naps and the family began searching for the three-year-old.
One of his siblings eventually found him unresponsive inside the van shortly after 4pm.
Someone called 911 and CPR was performed, but desperate efforts to save the toddler were unsuccessful.
It remains unclear exactly how long he had been trapped inside the vehicle.
Officials have not yet confirmed his cause of death, and the circumstances surrounding the tragedy remain under investigation.
However, Middle Tennessee was sweltering under dangerously high temperatures at the time.
The National Weather Service had issued a heat advisory for Cheatham County and surrounding areas, with the heat index forecast to reach as high as 109F.
His sibling found him unresponsive in the vehicle on their Tennessee propertyCredit: WAFB9
Authorities are investigating, emphasizing extreme heat dangers in parked carsCredit: WAFB9
Heflin said: “As hot as it is outside today, there’s no telling what the heat index inside that vehicle was.
“This is a very tragic incident that happened here today.”
The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services and the district attorney’s office are expected to be involved in the investigation.
Investigators reportedly do not believe the boy had been deliberately left inside the van.
Heflin urged families to be particularly vigilant as the scorching conditions continue.
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He said: “The most important thing here today is to educate the general public about how hot it is out here today. Make sure you don’t leave a child inside your vehicle. This can be the result. Very tragic.”
The boy’s death is believed to be at least the 18th involving a child in a hot vehicle across the US this year, according to nonprofit Kids and Car Safety.
SOURCE: THE SUN
https://www.the-sun.com/news/16830403/siblings-find-brother-dead-van-heatwave-tennessee/
