A father in Virginia took his own life on Tuesday after accidentally leaving his 18-month-old boy to die in the back seat of a hot car, according to police.
The WRIC, citing police, said the father was out with his son when the tragic accident occurred, and after seeing the child’s dead body inside the car, he went back to his Chesterfield County home shortly before noon and took the boy home. taken inside.
Soon after the father reached home, the police got a call that the man was committing suicide. On the way home, the police received a second call from a family member, who said the boy’s father had told them that he had left his son in the car for three hours and the child could die, the report said.
When officers arrived home, they found the car in the driveway with the back door open and the children’s car seat empty.
Police said they found the child dead inside the house.
The 37-year-old father was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in a wooded area behind the house.
Neither the identity of the father nor the child has been released.
“This is a terrible tragedy on many levels and our condolences go out to the family and friends who are going to deal with it,” Officer Chris Hensley told reporters. “But we would forgive people for not taking this opportunity to realize how important it is to clearly check your vehicles.”
Police said they are in touch with the deceased child’s mother and other family members as they continue to investigate.
This year is the seventh 18-month-old baby to die as a result of being left inside a hot car, and the 914th since 1998, according to noheatstroke.com, a website started by meteorologist Jan Null, which tracks such deaths. does.
