An 11-month-old Lafayette toddler died a few weeks ago, accidentally locked in a hot car for hours. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration came to New Orleans to talk about a new campaign it hopes will save future lives.
"He was definitely a handsome baby with beautiful brown eyes and soft curly hair," said Norman Collins. His three-month-old grandson died last year in a hot car. The child's dad thought someone else was taking him out of the car and into the church nursery.
"While church services were in progress, Bishop was inadvertently left in car, parked in church parking lot with windows up in 90 degree weather, still buckled in his car seat," Collins said.
"When they get to 104 degrees, they start having altered mental states. When they get to about 107 degrees, major organ failure occurs. It's a matter of time before death ensues," said LSUHSC Dr. Costa Dimitriades.
"We want everyone to think 'where is baby,' look before you lock... every time they get out of the cars," said Ron Medford of the NHTSA.
A dramatic demonstration of an emergency response after a child is found in a hot car played out at Children's Hospital. An SUV sat in sunlight in 80 degrees. It took less than an hour to heat up inside to more than 120 degrees -- proof of how quickly cars heat up.
"People can have something come up that's not in their normal routine and they're distracted. Whatever the cause, something tragic occurs," said Dr. Demitriades.
500 kids have died nationwide in more than a decade, 17 in Louisiana.
