Child dies in Mansfield after apparently being left inside parked car, chief says

MANSFIELD — A young boy was pronounced dead at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital on Thursday afternoon after apparently being left inside a hot car.

Mansfield police Chief Jason Bammann said officers and a fire department rescue squad responded to a 9-1-1 call at 55 Wood St. around 2:30 p.m.

He said it appeared a woman driving the car arrived at work and went inside, forgetting a child, which he described as around age 5, was still in the backseat.

He said the child was found unconscious in the car. Paramedics transported the child to the hospital, but the boy was pronounced dead there.

“I don’t have all the details yet,” the chief said. “Detectives are investigating.

“As a parent, please be aware on these hot days just how quick this can happen,” Bammann said.

“This one is bothering a lot of people,” the veteran law enforcement officer said.

Temperatures in Mansfield reached the high 80s on Thursday afternoon.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, more than 1,010 children nationwide have died from heatstroke after being left or becoming trapped inside a hot car in the last 25 years.

In 2024, 39 children died of heatstroke in vehicles — up 35 percent from 2023.

According to the website, a child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s. When a child is left in a vehicle, that child’s temperature can rise quickly — and the situation can quickly become dangerous, the NHTSA said.

Heatstroke begins when the core body temperature reaches about 104 degrees. Death occurs at a core body temperature of 107 or above, according to the website.

In the summer, a car’s interior can become dangerously hot, reaching temperatures far exceeding the outside air temperature.

Even on a mild 70-degree day, a car’s interior can reach nearly 120 degrees after just 90 minutes, according to www.scottsauto.com.

On a 100-degree day, the temperature inside a car can reach 119 degrees Fahrenheit in just 10 minutes, the website said.

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City editor. 30-year plus journalist. Husband. Father of 3 grown sons and also a proud grandpa. Prior military journalist in U.S. Navy, Ohio Air National Guard. -- Favorite quote: "Where were you when... More by Carl Hunnell