An Idaho baby girl was found dead inside a hot car in New Plymouth, Idaho, after being left by her family amid temperatures spiking near 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
The baby was pronounced dead in a nearby hospital.
While deemed accidental, the police in southwestern Idaho are currently investigating the death of the Idaho infant, who is the latest fatality of hot car-related incidents in the United States.
The incident on Saturday, September 3, transpired as a massive heat wave is hovering over the Western US.
In particular, the heat dome is amassing for over a week above the Pacific Northwest where Idaho is situated.
US weather authorities issued several heat forecasts recently, warning that the extreme weather could result in heat-related illnesses and even death, including from heatstroke or hyperthermia.
Idaho Baby Left in Hot Car
The Idaho girl's family called the police around 5:00 p.m. on Saturday to report that their child was left in the car and was no longer breathing at that time, according to the Payette County Sheriff's Office during a news release, as cited by Fox News.
The sheriff's office, along with the Idaho State Police, is investigating the main cause of death, which has not been confirmed at the time of reporting.
Payette County Sheriff Andrew Creech reportedly told the Idaho Statesman that law enforcement has not yet confirmed how long the infant was left in the vehicle, as cited by the US media outlet.
Pacific Northwest Heat Wave
The National Weather Service (NWS) on Tuesday, September 6, stated that an upper level ridge of high pressure continues to fuel an extensive heat dome on the West Coast; where over 50 million residents are under heat alerts, including either excessive heat warnings or heat advisories.
Child Hot Car Deaths
The National Safety Council (NSC) said the number of child hot car deaths for 2021 was 23 due to heatstroke.
In 2022, 23 hot car-related fatalities have been reports so far.
On average, 38 children under 15 years old die each year due to extreme heat after being left inside a vehicle by their parents or designated guardians.
The NSC said almost every state has recorded at lease one related death since 1998.
In the period from 2018 to 2019, a record-breaking 53 children died for being trapped in a hot vehicle.
The US-based non-profit organization derived its data from Jan Null, CCM, from the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science at San Jose State University.
The organization said Null has been tracking "US child vehicular stroke deaths" since 1998, citing his research showing that over 50% of these fatalities were a result a child being forgotten in the car by a parent of caregiver.
In related cases, animal rights groups in the past have also reported pets dying in hot cars after being left by their owners and amid hot temperatures.
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