Baby girl dies in NJ after dad leaves her in hot car, says prosecutor

OCEAN COUNTY, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — An 8-week-old Jackson Township girl is dead, and the county prosecutor says it’s because her father left her in a hot car Monday afternoon.

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office alleges that 28-year old Avraham Chaitovsky left his infant daughter alone in a hot car “for an extended period,” causing her death Monday in Lakewood.

He is charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Additional charges are possible, says the county prosecutor.

As dangerously high temperatures have hung over the region in recent weeks, experts have been warning that the number of hot-car deaths is rising.

“It’s the leading cause of death for non-vehicle crashes for children under the age of 14,” said Jana L. Tidwell with AAA. “Sadly we’ve seen 10 children dying in hot cars. And 5 have accrued in July — and we’re only halfway through July.”

Tidwell says it could happen to anyone.

“Kids are not going to day care or school regularly, and parents are juggling more during the summer than during the school year,” she said.

Parents are reminded to never leave anyone — children, adults or pets — in cars, because the health risk is too high.

“And don’t think cracking a window is going to help a child or a pet breathe the way they would if you were in the car with the air conditioner on,” she said.

The inside of the car on a hot day is like an oven, Tidwell explains. Under high-temperature conditions, the body shuts down and internal organs start to cook. It only takes 15 minutes for a child to suffer life-threatening brain, liver and kidney injuries — “because a child’s body heats up three to five times faster than an adult.”

Tidwell demonstrated with chocolate and crayons just how dangerously hot a car can get on a hot summer day. “As we close all the doors, the chocolate is sweating and melting as well.”

According to AAA, on a 95-degree day, a car can heat up to over 180 degrees — and a child can die of heat stroke on a 72-degree day.

“Sadly what’s happening is  we’re losing 37 children under the age of 14 a year to this type of heat stroke,” Tidwell said.

According to recent studies cited by AAA, 52% of child deaths in hot cars were caused by adults forgetting the children. So, to avoid tragedy, she suggests setting up some reminders to check the back seat.

“Put a stuffed animal in the front seat to remind you that you have a child in the back. Put your purse or computer bag in the back seat to force you to go to the back seat.”

But whatever you do, she says, don’t leave anyone in a car unattended.