There is nothing more heartbreaking than the loss of a young life especially when it is something that could have been avoided.
Keep reading to learn more.
A foster father got the shock of his life when he returned to pick the child in his care up from childcare. Shortly before, the staff had just said the words that made him realize he had made a huge mistake.
Unfortunately, it was too late to make things right.
Several international media outlets, such as the Mirror, are reporting on the tragedy that occurred in Madison Heights, Virginia.
Realized his mistake
The foster father, Brian Dalton, had gone to work like any other day, and afterwards he drove to his son, Hudley’s, daycare to pick him up.
Here, however, he was met with a lot of confusion. They informed Brian that Hudley had never been dropped off that day.
It was here that the frightening reality dawned on him as he was the one who had driven off with his son in the morning.
The little boy was still strapped into the car. Brian realized he had never dropped the child off.
Authorities reported that the toddler had been left alone in the car for “over 8 hours.” Temperatures in Amherst, where the incident occured, reached nearly 90 degrees on Thursday with a low of 73, according to weather reporting sources.
A tragedy you never expect to happen
According to the police, there is nothing to indicate that it was a premeditated act.
“It’s just a tragedy that we never, never expect to happen, never should happen, but it’s unfortunate that it did,” Sheriff L.J. Ayers said at a news conference streamed by WSET. He informed the media that the boy had been in the foster system. Hot car deaths are unfortunately a common occurence especially for parents or caretakers of younger children.
The tragedy occurred just a few days after the little boy had turned 2 years old.
According to the sheriff, the foster father has expressed remorse for his actions and has cooperated with the police throughout.
He has now been charged with abuse and neglect of a child and negligent homicide.
If you ever witness a child left behind in a car and in clear distress, please call the authorities immediately. Share this with others to raise more awareness about hot car deaths for children.
