5-year-old dies after being left in car during extreme heat, police say

MANSFILED, Ohio (WOIO/Gray News) – A 5-year-old boy died Thursday after being left inside a hot car in Mansfield, Ohio, according to police.

Officers were called to respond for medical assistance around 3:15 p.m. and found the boy unconscious in the vehicle.

The 5-year-old was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police Chief Jason Bammann told the Richland Source it appeared a woman driving the car arrived to work, went inside and forget the child in the backseat.

No charges have been filed at this time.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s and can rise very quickly when being left in a vehicle.

This is the ninth reported hot car death in 2025, according to Kids and Car Safety. More than 1,010 children have died of heatstroke over the past 25 years.