Third Child Dies in Hot Texas Car in Just Four Days

It seems like it would be a common-sense thing to anyone, especially in Texas, where the temperatures can climb quickly. However, people leaving children in a car for hours at a time is becoming an epidemic in the state.

The most recent case of a child being left in a hot car happened near Houston yesterday, and the worst part is it could've been completely avoided.

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How Did The Child Get Left In The Car

Right out of the gate is where it gets interesting. The child was 9 years old and was left in the car on purpose by her mother as she went to work for the day.

She provided her child with some water and left the windows partially open for the child, then went in for her shift. It was an eight-hour shift she went in for that began at 6 am.

What Did She Find When She Came Out

After her shift ended around 2 pm, she went to her car, where she found her daughter unresponsive in the car. Law enforcement was contacted around 2:06 pm, and when they arrived, they found the girl in the car.

Temperatures had reached around 93 degrees outside, and we all know it gets hotter in the car, so temperatures were probably over 100 inside the vehicle. They transported the girl to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

The Investigation

Detectives have been speaking with the mother, trying to understand what happened and why the child was left in the car. They're calling it a unique situation because most cases like this are accidental in the sense that they forgot they had their child with them.

Harris County, Texas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told ABC News that nothing shows the mother "thought this would be the outcome."

How Many Deaths Have Happened In Texas

Here's where it gets shocking. This is the third hot car death in Texas in just the last four days.

Nationally, this marks at least the 13th hot car death of a child.