12 Hot Car Deaths in 2024 Amid Heatwave

Multiple recent incidents highlight the tragic consequences of leaving children in hot cars amid a record-breaking heatwave in the U.S. In Arizona, Christopher Scholtes faces charges of second-degree murder and child abuse after his two-year-old daughter, Parker, died when left in a car for over three hours while he played video games. Similarly, Avraham Chaitovsky in New Jersey was arrested after his 8-week-old daughter died from being left in a hot vehicle for an extended period. Such incidents have led to at least 12 child deaths in hot cars nationwide in 2024 alone, with safety experts and advocacy groups emphasizing the rapid rise in car temperatures and the preventable nature of these tragedies.