New York: Baby girl dies after being left in hot car by grandma | US News

A 14-month-old girl died in a hot car after being behind by her grandmother for eight hours.

Chyasia Evans died of a heatstroke in the backseat of a Jeep Cherokee in Smithtown, Long Island, on Monday.

Her body temperature was recorded at 106 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chyasia’s 54-year-old grandmother intended to drop her off at a daycare center but forgot to do so and instead drove straight to work, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.

Around 4.20pm, the grandma went to pick her up from the Redwood Lane daycare center – at which point she realized she had left the toddler in the SUV.

Chyasia was rushed to Saint Catherine of Siena Medical Center, where doctors pronounced her dead.

No criminal charges have been filed in the case, which remains under investigation.

Chyasia’s mother, Jessica Watkins, held a stuff Elmo in her arms during a Tuesday night vigil at the parking spot in Smithtown where she died.

‘I know you’re going to be my guardian angel and I love you until we meet again,’ said Watkins, according to NBC New York.

‘I’m so defeated. I don’t know how to do this.’

Chyasia’s aunt said that daycare workers did not notify the family that she was not dropped off, and said that she may have been saved otherwise.

The grandma, from Greenlawn, has not been identified.

On Monday, the high in Smithtown was 83 degrees Fahrenheit. The inside of the car was much hotter. Chyasia’s body temperature was around the level at which infants can die, and about seven degrees higher than the average body temperature.

Watkins’ friend Derrick Rountree set up a GoFundMe page ‘to help with funeral costs, and to help Jessica with her personal expenses due to her going be out of work, in any way that could make this tragedy a little easier’.

About 40 kids die in hot cars each year, according to the US Department of Transportation.

As of this spring, the number of hot car child deaths this year was double the figure in the same time period in 2022.

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