BIRMINGHAM, Ala.–A three-year-old boy, Ketorrius Starks Jr., has died after being left in a hot car by a contract worker for the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) while in state custody.
Authorities are investigating the incident, which occurred on July 22, 2025, in a Birmingham neighborhood. Police received a report of an unresponsive child shortly after 5:30 p.m. local time, and Ketorrius was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to reports, the contract worker, who has since been terminated by the DHR, picked up Ketorrius from daycare for a supervised visit with his father. After the visit, which ended around 11:30 a.m., the worker allegedly made “numerous personal errands” instead of returning the child to daycare, leaving him in the vehicle for approximately five hours.
Temperatures on that day reached 96 degrees, with a heat index making it feel as high as 108 degrees, and the internal temperature of the car likely exceeded 150 degrees.
“Our baby should be alive”: Alabama boy dies in state custody
The child’s family has expressed their devastation, calling the tragic incident a “parent’s worst nightmare” and stating, “Our baby should be alive.” They are calling for the worker to be held accountable beyond termination. The Birmingham Police Department is conducting a death investigation, and the contract worker is reportedly cooperating.
This tragedy has prompted calls from state leaders for answers and a review of state law to prevent similar incidents. The company the worker was contracted through is reportedly “The Covenant Services.”
Children are particularly vulnerable to heat
A child’s body is particularly vulnerable to heat. Their core temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s, and heatstroke can begin when their body temperature reaches 104?F
A sleeping child can succumb to these conditions silently and swiftly. The interior of a parked car can become a deadly oven in a matter of minutes. Rolling down the windows or parking in the shade doesn’t significantly change the interior temperature of the car.
Even with the windows cracked, a vehicle’s temperature can soar by 20?F in just 10 minutes, creating a lethal environment for a child left inside. These tragic incidents, known as pediatric vehicular heatstroke, are heartbreakingly preventable.
Thousands of kids have died in hot cars
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 1,000 children have died of heatstroke after being left or trapped in hot cars over the past 25 years.
Experts suggest placing a personal item, such as a purse or briefcase, in the back seat as another reminder to look before locking.
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