A toddler died inside a hot car after a state-contracted worker forgot he was in the vehicle, Alabama authorities reported Monday.
Ke’Terrious Starkes Jr., 3, from Bessemer, was found unresponsive in a car on Pine Tree Drive in Birmingham and was pronounced dead early Tuesday evening. Temperatures that day soared into the 90s with high humidity, making conditions inside the car especially dangerous.
According to police, Ke’Terrious was in the foster care system and had been picked up from daycare by the contracted worker for a scheduled visit with his father. After the visit, the child was supposed to be returned to daycare, but instead was left inside the car at the worker’s home. Authorities arrived around 5:30 p.m. after a call about the incident.
Police say the contractor, who has not been named, cooperated with investigators. It remains unclear how long the child was left inside the vehicle, but family members say it was about five hours. The Department of Human Resources confirmed the contract provider has been terminated.
The boy’s aunt, Brittney Debruce, said the worker regularly transported Ke’Terrious, so this was not the first time she had cared for him. A candlelight vigil and memorial service have been scheduled in Bessemer to honor the child’s memory. Debruce expressed that she believes the worker did not act intentionally, but wants answers about the tragedy.
