3 days ago
Boy dies after being ‘left in hot car by child services driver shopping for tobacco'
A three-year-old foster child has died in Alabama after a driver employed by local children's services left him alone in a hot car for around five hours.
The boy has been named by Jefferson County Coroner's Office as Kettorius 'KJ' Starks Jnr of Bessemer.
He was found in the vehicle parked on a driveway with its windows rolled up, on Tuesday, July 22, reports.
Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates stated the boy is believed to have been left alone in the car from 12.30pm until around 5.30pm when he was discovered.
Tragically, he was pronounced dead at 6.03pm.
Local temperatures reached around 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35C) on Tuesday afternoon, but the National Weather Service states it would have felt as high as 103 degrees (39.4C) by 1pm, taking into account the high humidity.
The boy's aunt Brittney Debruce said he was living in a foster home and was under the care of Alabama's Department of Human Resources at the time of his death.
Ms Debruce stated that a transport driver working as a contractor for the children's services department has picked the boy up from daycare and took him for a planned visit with his father in Bessner.
After the visit, the driver is said to have alleged to purchase groceries and tobacco before parking the vehicle on the driveway of his home.
The alarm was raised when Kettorius' foster carer went to pick him up from the daycare facility and found he wasn't there.
Ms Debruce stated that she and Birmingham Police later found the child inside the car. The boy's mother was informed of the tragedy and the family are said to have been left devastated.
"We don't know what's going on," Debruce added.
Kettorius's parents issued a statement and described the situation as their "worst nightmare," adding: "Our baby should be alive."
Birmingham police are investigating the child's death.
In a statement, Alabama's Department of Human Resources said: "A child in DHR custody was being transported by a contract provider when the incident occurred. The provider has terminated their employee. Due to confidentiality, DHR cannot comment further regarding the identity of the child or the exact circumstances."
The driver that picked up Kettorius worked for a company called The Covenant Services, that was contracted to carry out transport services.
The Debruce family attorney Courtney French said: "This is a heartbreaking and preventable tragedy."
