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A 2-year-old girl died Saturday after being found in her
grandmother's car on a day where the temperature in Denver
reached 97 degrees.
The grandmother was babysitting the girl, the girl's
5-year-old sister and a boy whose relation is unknown. The
identities of the children and the grandmother have not been
released.
This is the first heat-related vehicle death of a child in
the area this summer, said Denver police spokeswoman Virginia
Lopez.
The child was discovered by a neighbor who was walking
through the parking lot at the Jody Apartments, 5375 W. 10th
Ave. The neighbor noticed her in a four-door, maroon Buick
LeSabre, which had its windows rolled up. The neighbor alerted
the grandmother, who retrieved the unresponsive child, Lopez
said.
Rescuers were unable to revive the toddler. Police do not
know how long the child was in the car, but it got as hot as
97 degrees Saturday, 1 degree off the record of 98 for July 9.
"Due to the extreme temperatures, it appears to be a tragic
accident," Lopez said. "But it's
a great time
to let everyone know that children, adults and pets should not
be left unattended inside a vehicle."
The temperature inside a closed vehicle increases quickly.
For example, about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, 9News performed a test
with a car while the temperature outside was 96.1. After
closing the car for 10 minutes, the temperature inside hit
125.8.
The apartment where the grandmother lives is in an adult
community, said neighbors who did not want to be identified.
They said children who are around are usually visiting. The
adults living there are mostly single and retired, they said.
Staff writer Annette Espinoza contributed to this
report. | 
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