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Authorities in southern Florida are investigating the tragic death of a child found inside a vehicle parked at a local school. The body was discovered Monday afternoon at A World of Discovery Academy in Plantation, a city just west of Fort Lauderdale.
Plantation police responded to a call reporting an unresponsive child at approximately 5:39 p.m. Upon arrival, the Plantation Fire Department confirmed the child had passed away. Police detectives are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the death, though no further details about the child’s identity have been released.
Leslie Novoa, owner of the academy, shared with CBS News Miami that the child’s father had come to pick up his son or daughter, only to realize he had accidentally left the child unattended in the backseat of his car while at work. “Unfortunately, when he arrived at school, he realized the situation,” Novoa said. She added that she immediately called 911 and described the family as loving and involved for the six years they had been with the school.
This heartbreaking incident highlights a persistent danger: heat-related deaths of children left in vehicles. According to the National Safety Council, there have been at least nine such fatalities so far this year, with 31 reported in 2025. On average, 37 children under 15 die each year in similar circumstances.
The nonprofit Kids and Car Safety emphasizes that in about half of these cases, the responsible adult unintentionally left the child in the vehicle. “In most situations, this happens to loving, caring and protective parents,” the organization notes, underscoring the tragic nature of these preventable deaths.