Leaving a child unattended in a hot car has already cost one MS life this summer. See details

The sweltering summer heat has first responders making pleas to Mississippi drivers: Don't leave your children or pets unattended in hot cars.

Leaving your child or pet unattended in a car could result in the death of that child or pet, according to The American Medical Response, an ambulance service in Jackson.

"We highly recommend that parents do not leave their children and or pets in a vehicle regardless of how quickly a store run would be," said AMR Public Affairs Manager Jim Pollard. "Leaving a child in a hot car is a bad idea. The temperature in a car can rise 10-15 degrees in 10 minutes, which is extremely dangerous for small children."

Pollard said AMR recommends anyone who sees a child left unattended in a car to call local law enforcement and report the incident.

"With the recent rise in temperatures and the heat index, it is critical to remember to get your child out of the car when you do," Pollard said. "Leaving your purse, wallet, or something valuable could act as a reminder to check the backseat before getting out of the car and leaving your child or pet unattended."

The heat indices topped 110 degrees in the Jackson area last week and are expected to be above 100 this week.

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On average, 38 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left unattended in a vehicle, according to The National Safety Council, which tracks safety issues and accidental reports.

A recent case involved Mississippi mother Quantella Towns, who was charged after her 22-month-old child died after being left in a hot car while the mother went to work, according to the Hernando Police Department.

The incident was discovered on June 10 in Hernando, Mississippi, when Towns arrived at the local hospital in Southaven with her dead 22-month-old child.

DeSoto County District Attorney Bob Morris confirmed in a statement to WREG the child was left in Town's vehicle while she worked an entire shift at the Zaxby's in Hernando. An initial report from the county coroner confirmed the child "suffered from substantial exposure to heat."

"My understanding is that she was an employee at the location and that the child had been left in the vehicle while she went to work," Morris said.

After an investigation, officials said Towns was arrested and charged with child deprivation of necessities with substantial harm, contribution to the neglect of delinquency of a child, giving a false statement to law enforcement, driving with a suspended driver's license and not having a card as proof of insurance.

Since the initial incident, Towns has been released on bond.

Morris said her charges could be upgraded once the state medical examiner's findings are released.

"We are confident with the charges as they are right now, and I do expect if the report comes back, as I expect it to, that those charges will be more serious," Morris said.

The number of children deaths in hot cars for 2022 was 33, the NSC reported. So far, in 2023, eight deaths have been reported.

Santana Wilson, 33, of Ridgeland, said she witnessed multiple children left in the car at Walmart in Ridgeland last week.

"I was going to make a quick grocery run to get a few items to make a meal for the weekend and to get some supplies for the Fourth of July cookout when I noticed two girls about 8 to 9 years old sitting in a hot car with the windows cracked," Wilson said. "I approached the car to ask if they wanted to wait with me at the front of Walmart until their parents returned. Shaking in fear, they declined but asked for a water bottle."

Wilson said after going inside to grab her items and the water bottles, she rushed back to the car to help assist the children.

"By the time I made it back out, which was approximately 2 to 5 minutes, the car was gone," she said. "My heart was broken into pieces knowing those babies were suffering in the heat. In those types of situations, you have to be careful. I wanted to call the police, but you never know the situation."

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Expert advice on impact of child left in car