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How Could This Happen? Questions Swirl in NJ Toddler Car Death as Probe Widens

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A preliminary investigation into the death of a 2-year-old girl who was found in the back seat of a car in a New Jersey driveway a day ago finds she was, in fact, left unattended in the vehicle as believed, but it’s still not clear exactly how long she was there — or who may have been responsible for leaving her behind, police in Franklin Township said Wednesday.

The circumstances surrounding the toddler’s death, including more details on the timeframe, remain under investigation. The child’s name has not been released, and an autopsy is expected to be conducted in short order to determine cause and manner of death. No charges have been filed at this point in the case.

With investigators still working to nail down details, law enforcement sources familiar with the case say the child could have been left in the car for more than seven hours, as temperatures climbed into the high 80s on a day that featured oppressive humidity.

Cops responding to a call about a child in cardiac arrest at a Summerall Road residence in Franklin Township just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday encountered a neighbor, who is a member of a local fire department, already performing administer on the girl. She was unresponsive. Those efforts continued until more medical units arrived. The girl died at the scene.

It wasn’t clear if the neighbor was the one who called 911, nor was it clear if the vehicle had been locked.

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Neighbors on the suburban street said it appeared the parents did not realize the child had been in the car. They said officers knocked on the front door of the home after finding the child and described hearing the pain from the parents after they learned.

“They were just screaming in pain and anguish. She collapsed to the ground and he went to console her,” said a neighbor. “They’re great parents. I’ve seen them be very loving and doting on their daughters.”

Another neighbor said that the child’s mother was taken away in an ambulance after collapsing on the front lawn.

“How can that happen? How do you forget? I guess we’re all forgetful, I’ve forgotten things in the car. But how do you forget the toddler, you know? I don’t know,” said neighbor Alex Krstavski.

How that happened is at the crux of the investigation. Much remains unknown at this point.

The New Jersey girl’s case raises the count of 2022 hot car deaths in the United States to 22, according to an organization called Kids and Car Safety. Sue Auriemma, who is with the group, said she is pushing to make warning systems mandatory in all new cars to prevent similar tragedies.

“This is the kind of tragedy that doesn’t discriminate. It has to do with a failure of the brain’s memory, in many cases,” Auriemma said. “Unfortunately the worst mistake a parent can make is thinking this can’t happen to them.”

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The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit at (908) 231-7100 or the Franklin Township Police Department at (732) 873-5533.

Source: NBC New York

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