Collinsville police release report on boy who died after being left all day in an SUV
A 3-year-old boy died after his father forgot that the child was in his SUV and didn’t drop him off at preschool before spending the day at work, according to a Collinsville Police Department report.
When the boy’s father ran to his car at his Collinsville workplace on the afternoon of Aug. 3, after receiving a call from his wife, he saw that his son was still in his booster seat in the third row of a 2017 Honda Pilot, the report states.
The man then drove his son to St. Louis Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased, police said.
The St. Louis Medical Examiner’s Office said it is investigating the cause and manner of death of 3-year-old Joshua Berry.
A report on the child’s death is expected to be completed in two to three months, said Tara Rick, the executive director for operations of the medical examiner’s office.
The BND isn’t reporting the names of the parents due to the nature of the incident and since no criminal charges have been filed.
Officials with the Collinsville Police Department have been in contact with the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office, according to a statement from the prosecutor’s office. The state’s attorney’s office said it hasn’t received a final report from the police department but expects to receive one.
In an email to the Belleville News-Democrat, Collinsville Police Chief Steve Evans called the child’s death “an incomprehensible, tragic accident.”
The obituary for Joshua Berry says he was a “miracle baby” who overcame Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which Johns Hopkins Medicine describes as a disorder affecting spinal cord “nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement.”
“Joshua, or Joshie as we affectionately called him, brought immense joy and happiness to our lives during his short time with us, and his memory will forever be cherished,” reads his obituary posted by Baucom’s Life Celebration Center.
“Joshie was a ray of sunshine from the moment he entered our lives. Joshie’s spirit was filled with boundless energy and an unwavering zest for life, leaving an indelible mark on all who had the privilege of knowing him.”
A memorial celebration of life service was conducted on Aug. 13 for Joshua.
Police interviews
Collinsville police officers and detectives interviewed Joshua’s mother and people who worked with her husband at Laura Buick GMC at 903 North Bluff Road in Collinsville, according to the police report.
The mother told a detective that her husband said he “forgot” Joshua was in the car and that he had forgotten to drop him off at preschool, according to the detective’s summary of her statements.
She said her son usually slept during car rides and that he usually went to preschool every day but because of his health condition “it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for him to miss a day of school,” the police report states.
The mother, who works from the couple’s Florissant, Missouri, home, said she asked one of her other sons at about 4:45 p.m. to go pick up Joshua from school, but he later returned home saying his little brother was not at school. That’s when she called her husband.
He called back to say that their son had apparently died and that he was going to drive him to the hospital.
The employees who spoke to detectives said nothing appeared unusual with the child’s father during his shift at work. At one point during the day he texted his wife about her upcoming birthday that weekend.
The police reviewed surveillance videos recorded at the dealership and at the children’s hospital.
Video at the dealership shows that the father arrived at the dealership at about 9:06 a.m. and backed into a parking spot. He also is seen running to the Honda Pilot at 5:06 p.m. and then driving away a short time later.
Hospital surveillance video shows him walking into the emergency room with his son.
Children left in cars
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that over the past 25 years, more than 950 children have died of heatstroke, because they were left or became trapped in a hot car.
In 2022, there were 33 such cases nationwide.
“It’s important for everyone to understand that children are more vulnerable to heatstroke and that all hot car deaths are preventable,” the agency states on its website.
A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult and a child can die when their body temperature reaches 107, according to the agency.
The highway safety board notes that if the outdoor temperature is 75, the inside of a car can be 105.
The National Weather Service reports the high temperature on Aug. 3 at the St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia Heights was 85.
