- The young victim’s age, originally reported as 9, was 11. For an updated story, click here.
AMERICAN FORK, Utah, July 21, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A 9-year-old boy has been found dead in a hot car at a business complex in American Fork Wednesday afternoon.
American Fork Police Department Lt. Josh Christensen told Gephardt Daily officers were dispatched at approximately 1:22 p.m. along with fire and EMS to a report of a child that was left in a car and was unconscious and not breathing.
“Officers and EMS arrived on scene and CPR had already been initiated and they continued first aid efforts but unfortunately they were unsuccessful,” Christensen said.
A medical helicopter also responded but the child was pronounced dead at the scene.
It is thought the child was in the vehicle for approximately two hours before he was found.
The vehicle was parked outside a business called Roost Services, which provides services for intellectually disabled individuals, Christensen said.
“He was in the care of that facility at the time,” he added. “It sounds like he was brought here by a staff member, I’m not sure where from, along with two other individuals, and then somehow was left in the vehicle.”
The windows and doors of the car were closed and it was turned off.
An investigation into the incident is underway.
“We are still investigating right now to determine if there is a criminal element to this or not, what contributed to the child being left, or not getting out on his own, all of those things we are still looking into,” Christensen said.
The temperature in American Fork at the time officials were called was 96 degrees.
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as information is made available.
