Infant dies after being left in a hot car in New Jersey, father is charged
The man, Avraham Chaitovsky, was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
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A New Jersey man was charged with endangering the welfare of a child Tuesday after his 8-week-old daughter died due to being left alone in a hot car, officials say.
Avraham Chaitovsky, 28, of Lakewood Township, was taken into custody after an investigation concluded the cause for his daughter’s death was being unattended for a long time in the hot car, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
The temperature reached 89 degrees about the infant’s time of death Monday, according to the website of the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly.
The Lakewood Township Police Department found first responders giving lifesaving aid to the infant at about 1:45 p.m. Monday, but she was pronounced dead at the scene due to cardiac arrest, according to the prosecutor’s office. The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be added, according to the statement.
Further details of the death were not released.
Like Philadelphia, Lakewood Township has been under an excessive heat warning that started Sunday and was estimated to end Wednesday at 8 p.m.
How common are deaths in hot cars?
So far in 2024, 11 children have died after being left in a hot car, according to the National Safety Council. Last year, the number was 29, and since 1998, when the council’s data began, there have been 979 children who died by being left in a hot car. According to the organization, the parent or caregiver forgot the child in more than half of the deaths.
To prevent this, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration advises to never leave a child unattended in a vehicle during the summer for any period of time. It also suggests to make a habit of checking the backseats of cars before locking the doors and to keep car keys out of children’s reach to prevent a child from entering a car unattended.
As a reminder, the NHTSA suggests leaving personal items, such as a purse or backpack, in the backseat to make drivers double-check and ensure that no children are left in the vehicle.