A North Carolina mother has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after her 8-year-old daughter tragically died from being left in a hot car. The incident occurred in Charlotte, where the child was found in critical condition inside a vehicle on Wednesday evening. Despite being rushed to a local hospital, the young girl succumbed to a heat-related medical emergency early Thursday morning, according to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
The mother, identified as 36-year-old Ashlee Stallings, is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse by willful act causing serious injury. She is currently being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail on a $250,000 bond. According to an arrest affidavit, Stallings admitted to leaving her daughter in the car while she went to work, claiming she had left the air conditioning running. However, she believed her daughter may have turned off the air conditioning because she was cold.
Authorities reported that the last communication between Stallings and her daughter was a text message sent about an hour and a half before Stallings returned to the car. Upon her return, she found her daughter unresponsive on the backseat floorboard. In a desperate attempt to save her, Stallings used a hammer to break the back window and then drove towards the hospital. She stopped at a nearby business to seek help, where someone called 911 to report the emergency.
Emergency responders transported the child to Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Medical staff indicated that the girl suffered brain herniation due to hyperthermia, a condition caused by excessive heat. Stallings acknowledged to the police that she knew it was 94 degrees Fahrenheit outside and admitted she should not have left her daughter in the car.
Stallings has been appointed a public defender and is scheduled for her next court hearing on July 17. The case has drawn significant attention to the dangers of leaving children in hot cars, a tragic occurrence that claims the lives of children every year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a child dies of heat stroke in a car approximately every 10 days, with over 1,000 children having died in the last three decades.
A CBS News data analysis revealed that 83% of all hot car deaths over the past six years occurred between May and September, highlighting the increased risk during warmer months. The incident involving Stallings’ daughter marks at least the fifth hot car death this year, according to the nonprofit organization Kids and Car Safety.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department continues to investigate the incident. Amazon, Stallings’ employer, confirmed her employment at an Amazon facility and stated they are cooperating with the police investigation. In a statement, Amazon expressed their condolences and mentioned that they are providing counseling resources to their employees during this difficult time.
The tragic death of Stallings’ daughter underscores the importance of awareness and preventive measures to avoid such incidents. Experts advise parents and caregivers to always check the backseat before leaving their vehicle and to never leave children unattended in a car, even for a short period. The temperature inside a car can rise rapidly, reaching dangerous levels within minutes, especially on hot days.
Anyone with additional information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. Anonymous tips can be provided through Crime Stoppers.
Source: CBS/AP, ABC News, Queen City News
