A death investigation has been launched after a child was found unresponsive inside a vehicle on Tuesday afternoon.
Per a report from WDAM, the child was found inside the car at a home in Richton. At the time, it was nearly 100 degrees outside, resulting in a call being made to local law enforcement. The child succumbed, and their body was transported for an autopsy.
The Forrest County coroner told the TV station that a cause of death could not be initially determined, and autopsy results could be available as soon as Friday.
According to the National Safety Council, 37 children under the age of 15 die annually in the U.S. from heat strokes after being left or locked inside vehicles. Recent data shows that Mississippi is among the states with the most hot car deaths among children nationally, seeing 22 since 1990. In 2023, a 22-month-old child in Hernando after being left in the car.
At this time, it’s unclear how the child in Richton got inside the vehicle or how long they were inside before authorities made it to the scene.
