Six-Year-Old Dies in Car from Extreme Heat, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA
Date: Saturday, May 10, 2025
Location: SAN LUIS OBISPO County, California
Conditions: Two days of clear sunny skies with temperature highs of 83°F to 90°F between noon and 4 p.m., winds between 7 and 14 mph and humidity between 30%-35%. Nighttime and morning temperatures were 54°F to 77°F, but with humidity between 75%-90%.
Situation: At about 5:57 p.m., the Paso Robles Police Department was notified by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department regarding the death of a 6-year-old boy at Twin Cities Hospital in Templeton. Officers responded to the hospital and started an investigation. Given the seriousness of the incident, the Detective Bureau of the Paso Robles Police Department was called to investigate the circumstances.
The initial investigation indicates the child was transported to the hospital by his father, 27, of Paso Robles. It is suspected that the child sustained life-threatening injuries, possibly heat-related, while inside a vehicle, which ultimately resulted in his death. Detectives believe his vehicle may have been parked in the Paso Robles Inn parking lot for several hours before the incident.
KidsandCars.org Recommendations: The inside of a vehicle heats up VERY quickly. Even with the windows cracked open, the temperature inside a car can reach 125°F in minutes. 80% of the increase in temperature in the car happens in the first 10 minutes. Cracking the windows does not help slow the heating process OR decrease the maximum temperature. Children have died from heatstroke in cars when outside temperatures were as low as 60 degrees. A child’s body overheats 3-5 times faster than an adult's body. A change in daily routine, lack of sleep, stress, fatigue, and distractions are things ALL new parents experience and are just some of the reasons children have been unknowingly left alone in vehicles. Rear-facing car seats look the same to the driver whether there is a baby in it or not. Children, especially babies, often fall asleep in their rear-facing child safety seats, becoming quiet, little passengers.
Source: City of Paso Robles California (CivicAlerts)
