7-month-old dies after being left inside hot minivan while in foster care, authorities say
HAMLET, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) – A 7-month-old died in North Carolina after being left inside a hot minivan.
Officers with the Hamlet Police Department were called to a home in the area around 6 p.m. Monday where they found the baby inside the van, unresponsive.
The officers immediately began lifesaving efforts until paramedics got there. The baby was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
An arrest warrant for 59-year-old Djuna Tillman Bostick revealed the outside temperature was around 90 degrees when the baby was found.
Authorities said temperatures inside the van was likely much higher than 90 degrees, depending on how long the infant was inside.
Bostick, who was the child’s foster mother, was charged with negligent child abuse and involuntary manslaughter.
This is at least the sixth child to die in a hot car nationwide this year, according to Kids and Car Safety.
The organization provided the following tips to help keep children safe:
- Make sure your child is never left alone in a car.
- Place the child’s diaper bag or item in the front enger 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.
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