3-year-old Utah boy dies after being left in hot car, police say

VEYO, Utah (KSL.com) — The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy, who was apparently left in a car.

Sheriff’s deputies and paramedics were called just after 6 p.m. on Monday to an apartment at 12 N. Main Street. Initially, 911 dispatchers “received a call during which they heard the caller screaming. Initially, they were unable to gather information about what was happening” and sent deputies to the scene after classifying the call as a “911 hangup,” according to a statement from the sheriff’s office Wednesday.

Deputies arrived to find an unresponsive young boy who had been discovered inside a vehicle, said Washington County Sheriff’s Sgt. Lucas Alfred. The boy was out of the vehicle by the time emergency crews arrived, but was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts.

“The initial investigation by detectives revealed that the child was left unattended in the vehicle after a shopping trip with his family,” the sheriff’s office said.

The boy lived at the apartment where he was found, Alfred said.

Very little information has been released as detectives continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding why the boy was left in the vehicle, for how long and who discovered the child.

Temperatures in Veyo on Monday were in the mid- to upper 90s.

“The Washington County Sheriff’s Office is saddened that this tragic incident occurred and extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and community this has affected. We expresses our gratitude to Gold Cross Ambulance, Veyo Fire Department (and) Dammeron Valley Fire Department for their response and assistance.”

This story may be updated.