Advocacy Group Says 14 Children Have Died In Hot Vehicles So Far This Year

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – About 1,000 children have died in a hot car since 1990, according to KidsAndCars.org. More incidents are happening again this summer.

Last month, Phoenix police officers smashed out a car window to rescue a 2-year-old that was burning up in his car seat. The mother had just returned home from the grocery store and accidentally locked her keys inside.

Officer Michael Coddington said, "After he was checked out, it was great to see he was playing with his LEGOs and having a good time."

Unfortunately, these cases often end in tragedy. Just a few weeks later, a 7-month-old boy died at a mall outside of Phoenix after being left in a parked vehicle for about two hours.

Deona Bien lost her daughter Aslyn in 2004.

"Don't think that this can't happen to you. It can happen to anyone," she said.

Her babysitter had the child in the back seat of the car while running errands.

"The sitter arrived at her destination, she forgot that she had her with her," Bien said.

Aslyn was left inside for almost an hour and died after suffering heat stroke.

"I keep hoping for the day that no other family suffers this," Bien said.

She now works with the advocacy group KidsAndCars.org, which said 14 children have died in hot vehicles so far this year.

There are ways to prevent this kind of tragedy. You can put your phone, wallet or purse in the back seat with your child, which will serve as a reminder. It's also important to set up alerts with your child's school or daycare.

Bien explained, "If your child doesn't arrive at that specific time, that they're giving you a phone call to see where your child is."

She said there are also many cases of kids climbing into an empty car and accidently locking themselves inside.

"Parents should always lock their car doors because children do like to play, and they like to play hide and seek," she said.

Several newer cars have technology that alert the driver a child is in the back seat. There is currently legislation in Congress that would make the warning mandatory in all new vehicles.

The state of Florida has a law requiring alarms in transport vehicles owned by day care facilities. The law goes into effect in October.