Denton County

Child Found Inside Hot Car Remains Hospitalized

A 4-year-old child is in critical condition after a relative found the child unresponsive inside a car Thursday.

Aubrey police said the child was found at about 4:30 p.m. outside a home on Franklin Drive in Providence Village, about 12 miles east of Denton.

The family member who found the child called 911. Paramedics and firefighters arrived and began treating the child, who was later airlifted to a hospital. The child is said to be in critical, but stable, condition.

It's unknown how long the child was inside the car, police said. The temperature at the time of the discovery was in the mid 90's.

According to the National Safety Council, if it's 95 degrees outside the internal temperature of a car could climb to 129 degrees in 30 minutes. After just 10 minutes, temperatures inside could reach 114 degrees.

A child's body temperature heats up three to five times faster than an adult and heatstroke can begin when a person's core body temperature reaches 104 degrees. A core temperature of 107 degrees is lethal, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Aubrey police said no charges have been filed at this time and that they are still investigating how the child came to be in the car.

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is assisting in the investigation.

Contact Us