A 13-month-old Akron, Ohio infant died after being left alone in an SUV in temperatures just under 100 degrees.

The child's daycare provider was charged with reckless homicide and felony child endangerment because of this tragic fatal accident. Reportedly, the caregiver took five children to a play date at her mother's home on the south side of the city at around 9:30 on the morning of the incident. She took four children inside and forgot about the baby, who was seated in the rear third seat. Temperatures rose from the 70s to the 90s, and the baby had been in the vehicle for several hours when she was found unresponsive.

Tragically, this child injury scenario repeats itself across the country throughout the summer. In 2010, 49 children died of hypothermia after being left in hot cars. Even in mild weather, a vehicle sitting in the sun heats up very quickly, reaching life-threatening temperatures in a short period of time. Young children, the elderly and pets are the most vulnerable victims of hypothermia. More than 50 percent of these deaths occur when caregivers "forget" the children entrusted to their care.

A daycare provider, such as a teacher or other caregiver, is responsible for providing a safe environment for the children left in her care. Accidents happen when adults get distracted and fail to supervise children or fail to take basic precautions to protect them from harm. Child injury attorneys investigate accidents involving dangerous toys, defective products and faulty playground equipment. They help parents assess liability when negligence has occurred.

Source: Fox8.com, "Daycare Provider Charged in Toddler's Death," Dan Jovic, Sept. 13, 2011

Department of Geosciences, SFSU, "Hyperthermia Deaths of Children in Vehicles," Jan Null, Sept. 16, 2011