Two 2-year-old infants were discovered dead inside a car in Oklahoma last week, according to police.
Police officials in Norman, Oklahoma, discovered the kids while doing a welfare check on Thursday afternoon, according to a news release. The youngsters were in a vehicle on the street in a Norman area, some 20 miles from Oklahoma City. According to the Weather Channel, temperatures were around 90 degrees that day.
According to the announcement, the two-year-olds were mistakenly left in the vehicle for “an extended period” before being discovered by family members.
The inquiry is still ongoing, and the medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
USA TODAY contacted the Norman Police Department for more information.
‘The Best Girls’
The children were recognized by local news stations as twin daughters called Ariel and Avery.
According to KFOR, a family member was meant to take the girls to daycare but left them behind by accident. It is unclear if the family member was charged.
“They were the best girls the world has ever seen,” their father, Marshall Suter, told the publication. “It honestly hurts because the girls were so deeply loved and cared for.”
GoFundMe set up for the family
A family member started a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses “and take some weight off this father’s shoulders after dealing with such a tragic and heartbreaking loss,” according to the fundraising.
“No one truly understands the anguish of losing a kid until they have gone through it. “I know what this mother and father are going through,” the caption said.
As of Tuesday morning, the fundraiser had raised approximately $11,000, exceeding its goal.
Hot car deaths
Several children around the country perished this summer as a result of overheated automobile accidents. The events occur most frequently between May and September when the temperature is warmer.
Expert David Diamond PhD, a Florida-based psychology professor, told Consumer Reports that forgetting a child in a car can happen to anyone and that it’s more of a “memory problem.”
To avoid such a catastrophe, make it a practice to open the rear door as you exit the car and request that childcare providers phone if your child is not dropped off on time.
