3-Year-Old Dies After Being Left in Hot Car by Child Protective Services Worker

A young child has tragically lost his life after being left inside a vehicle in Alabama during a heatwave. Ke’Torrius Starks Jr., who was in foster care, was discovered in a car in Birmingham where temperatures reached 108°F, and he was left unattended for five hours.

The incident began after his foster family dropped him off at daycare at 9 a.m. for a scheduled supervised visit with his biological father. According to authorities, after the visit ended around 11:30 a.m., a child protective services worker—contracted through a third party—failed to return him to daycare. Instead, she stopped for food and briefly entered a tobacco store.

Later that day, the worker allegedly left the boy alone in her car, with windows rolled up, from approximately 12:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m., at her home. During this time, the temperature inside the vehicle likely surpassed 150°F. The child was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 6 p.m.

Authorities are investigating the circumstances. The child’s family expressed their grief and outrage, emphasizing that this tragedy was preventable. A spokesperson for the Department of Human Resources confirmed that the worker involved has been terminated, but due to confidentiality, further specifics cannot be disclosed.

It remains unclear how long Ke’Torrius had been residing with his foster family or the reasons for his removal from his biological parents. The child’s death marks Alabama’s first hot-car fatality of the year.

Family advocate Courtney French described the incident as “a heartbreaking and preventable tragedy,” highlighting the extreme heat conditions likely caused the interior car temperature to spike dangerously high.