22-month-old child dies after being left in hot car outside Texas school
CORPUS CHRISTI – A 22-month-old child died Tuesday after being left inside a hot vehicle outside a Corpus Christi middle school, police said.
When officers arrived shortly before 1:30 p.m. at Tom Browne Middle School on Schanen Boulevard, the child was receiving CPR from a school nurse, according to police. The child was taken to Driscoll Children's Hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.
It wasn't immediately known how long the child had been in the vehicle, police said.
The death is the second hot car death in Texas and the 24th nationwide in 2024, according to Kids and Car Safety. Since 1991, at least 157 children have died in hot cars in Texas, making it the "worst state in the country," the organization says.
Corpus Christi school officials referred questions to the police. They said counseling would be available for students and staff.
The incident remains under investigation, police said.
In a news release, Kids and Car Safety founder Janette Fennell said her organization continues to push for "occupant detection technology in all cars immediately."
"It is beyond heartbreaking," Fennell said. "Automakers do not have to wait for the final regulation to be issued requiring technology. They can add occupant detection technology to their vehicles today. An occupant detection and alert system could have gotten assistance to this sweet angel before it was too late."