Alabama child dies after being left in hot car while in state custody, authorities say

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Alabama authorities are investigating the death of a three-year-old boy who was left in a hot car by a contractor for the state human resources department on July 22, police said.
Ketorrius Starks had been "accidentally left inside of a vehicle" while in the care of a third-party worker contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, the state's child protective services agency, the Birmingham Police Department told USA TODAY on July 27. Officers received a report of an unresponsive child shortly after 5:30 p.m. local time on July 22.
Authorities discovered Ketorrius inside of a vehicle parked outside of a residence in a Birmingham neighborhood, according to police. The Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service pronounced the child dead at the scene.
The child had been left alone in the vehicle between 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., according to the Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner's Office. He was pronounced dead at 6:03 p.m., the medical examiner's office said.
The child was initially identified by the medical examiner's office as Katerrius Sparks, of Bessemer, Alabama, police said. The chief deputy coroner, Bill Yates, said in a statement to USA TODAY that the medical examiner's office had received multiple variations of the child's name from his family.
Yates noted that Ketorrius Starks is the most recent spelling of the child's name provide by his family and their funeral director.
The Birmingham Police Department said it is currently conducting a death investigation. The contract worker, who has not been publicly identified by police, was transported to the police department for questioning and has been cooperative in the investigation, police said.
The Alabama Department of Human Resources confirmed to local media outlets that the child "was being transported by a contract provider when the incident occurred," adding that the worker had been terminated, according to WVTM 13 and AL.com. The state human resources department did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment on July 27.
Where do hot car deaths happen the most? Data reveals where (and when) it's most common.
Reports: Family attorney says contract worker was supposed to return child to day care
The family's attorney, Courtney French, told AL.com and CNN that the contract worker had picked up Ketorrius from day care at around 9 a.m. on July 22 for a supervised visit with his father. The visit, which ended at about 11:30 a.m., was part of a court-ordered process for the parents to regain their custody of Ketorrius, according to CNN.
After the visit ended, French alleged that the worker made "numerous personal errands" with Ketorrius in the back of their vehicle instead of returning him to day care, CNN and AL.com reported. The worker then returned to their home, leaving Ketorrius in the vehicle for about five hours, according to the news outlets.
In a statement shared by French, according to AL.com, Ketorrius' family called the incident a "parent's worst nightmare." "Our baby should be alive,' the family added in the statement.
Hot temperatures and humidity were recorded on the day of the incident, according to the National Weather Service's office in Birmingham. The maximum temperature on July 22 reached 96 degrees shortly before 3 p.m., the weather service said in its daily climatological report.
Tips to prevent summer tragedy: Child hot car deaths could happen in any family.
Alabama child is the latest hot car death in the U.S.
In 2024, there were 41 child deaths in hot cars across the United States from May to November, according to data compiled by Kids and Car Safety, which tracks such deaths and advocates for preventative measures. The most common months for hot car deaths are June, July, and August when sweltering temperatures grip much of the nation.
More than 1,100 children have died in hot cars nationwide since 1990, Kids and Car Safety said in a news release on July 23. At least 7,500 other children have survived with injuries. The group said Ketorrius is at least the 16th child to die in a hot car in 2025.
"Approximately 88% of children who die in hot cars are age 3 or younger and the majority (55%) were unknowingly left by an otherwise loving, responsible parent or caregiver," according to Kids and Car Safety.
The group and other experts have noted that most hot car deaths are accidental, and these types of incidents can happen to anyone. Hot car deaths most often occur when a parent or caregiver has a change in routine or miscommunicate with each other over who's in charge of taking the child inside, Kids and Car Safety founder Janette Fennell previously told USA TODAY.
The same brain mechanism that causes a person to leave their cup of coffee on top of their car and drive away also causes someone to leave a child behind, Fennell said. In many cases, a change in routine — such as a parent who doesn't normally do day care drop-off — and a brain operating on autopilot leads to the tragedy.
"In over half of hot car deaths, the person responsible for the child unknowingly left them in the vehicle," according to Kids and Car Safety. "In most situations, this happens to loving, caring, and protective parents. It has happened to a teacher, dentist, social worker, police officer, nurse, clergyman, soldier, and even a rocket scientist."
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alabama child dies in hot car while in state custody: Authorities