A 1-year-old baby was found dead after being left in a parked car outside of the Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Washington, on Wednesday.
Capt. Ryan Portmann of the Puyallup Police Department told CBS News the incident was a "terrible mistake."
The child — who was being fostered by a hospital social worker — had been left in the car while the woman worked a 9-hour shift. She had dropped her other children off before going to work and forgot she had the baby in the car.
The foster mother arrived at work shortly after 8 a.m. and returned to the car at around 5 p.m. to find the child unresponsive.
She rushed the baby into the hospital, but the child could not be revived. At the time, the internal temperature of the car was around 110 degrees — possibly higher, according to Portmann — with the outdoor temperature that day between 70 and 75 degrees.
"You have a woman who gives her life to helping people, and to have this happen — it's just a tragic, tragic incident," said Portmann.
Detectives at the Puyallup Police Department are working with the medical examiner's office to verify a cause of death, though it is presumed to be heat-related. The foster mother and family are fully cooperating with police.
Following the conclusion of the investigation, the police department will refer their report to Pierce County prosecutors to determine if charges are appropriate.
"This can happen to anyone," said Portmann, adding that families should "come up with systems or processes to make sure that you're always aware you've got a child in the car…especially as we go into the warm months."
On average, 38 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a car, according to the National Safety Council.
