In a span of 24 hours, two separate tragedies unfolded in South Texas, as two young children died after being accidentally left in hot cars. The untimely deaths of a nine-month-old in Beeville, Texas, and a 22-month-old in Corpus Christi, Texas have reignited discussions about child safety and the dangers of leaving children alone in vehicles, especially during the intense summer heat of Texas.

One incident occurred in Beeville, Texas, a town located roughly 100 miles southeast of San Antonio. On Wednesday, August 21, a nine-month-old child was discovered unresponsive in a car after the grandmother mistakenly left the child in the vehicle for about eight hours. A statement from the Beeville Police Department reported that the baby was found around 4 p.m. in the car seat of the grandmother’s car, having been there since approximately 8:30 a.m.

Although the grandmother immediately called for assistance upon discovering the child, attempts to revive the baby were unsuccessful. The investigation of the incident is being supported by the Texas Rangers and the Department of Public Safety.

Another tragedy unfolded the day before in Corpus Christi, Texas, involving a 22-month-old toddler named Harley Adame. The Corpus Christi Police Department reported that the child’s mother, Hilda Adame, a middle-school teacher, inadvertently left Harley in a parked SUV by the school from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. after forgetting to drop her off at daycare. During this time, the temperature outside reached triple digits.

Upon realizing her error, Hilda Adame hurried to the SUV, retrieved Harley, and rushed her into the school’s nurse’s office where attempts were made to administer CPR. However, despite these efforts, Harley could not be saved when medics and police arrived.

The Corpus Christi police have since arrested 33-year-old Hilda Adame and have charged her with injury to a child and abandonment, treating the incident as a criminal homicide.

With these two recent incidents, the total number of child hot car deaths in Texas for the year has risen to three, with the first death reported in July. According to Kids and Car Safety, there have been at least 27 child deaths in hot cars across the United States in 2024 alone. Texas has the highest number of such fatalities, with a recorded 157 child deaths from hot cars between 1990 and 2023.

Dr. Jan Null, a meteorologist who has conducted extensive studies on vehicular heatstroke, stresses that even a few minutes in a hot car can be deadly for a child. He stated, “Temperatures inside a vehicle can reach lethal levels within just minutes, especially in places like Texas where summer heat can be extreme. These deaths are 100% preventable, yet they continue to happen because of simple mistakes that can have devastating consequences.”

Child safety advocates and law enforcement officials have repeatedly urged caregivers and parents to implement additional safety measures to prevent leaving children in vehicles. Suggested precautions include keeping an essential item like a phone or purse in the back seat as a reminder, setting a reminder on your phone to check the car, or utilizing technology that alerts drivers to a child’s presence in the vehicle.

As investigations into the incidents in Beeville and Corpus Christi continue, legal action against those involved is expected. Meanwhile, communities across Texas are dealing with the loss of young lives and are reminded of the risks associated with high temperatures and momentary distractions while driving.