Four children across the country died in five days after being left in hot vehicles, and Harris County Constable Mark Herman is warning Spring-area parents not to let it happen here.
Herman, whose Precinct 4 office serves north Harris County including Spring, posted the warning Monday, Aug. 17, urging every parent and caregiver to make checking the back seat part of their routine each time they park.
The deaths occurred between Aug. 11 and Aug. 15 in Tennessee, Kentucky and Connecticut, according to Kids and Car Safety tracking data. The victims were a 3-year-old boy in Pegram, Tennessee; a 6-year-old girl in Cordova, Tennessee; an infant in Madisonville, Kentucky; and a 1-year-old boy in East Windsor, Connecticut.
Those four deaths pushed the national toll to at least 21 children killed in hot cars so far in 2026. Texas has already recorded one such death this year: a 2-year-old girl in Midland on July 26.
Why it keeps happening
In more than half of hot car deaths, the caregiver did not realize the child was still in the vehicle, according to Kids and Car Safety. An average of 40 children die this way each year nationwide, according to USA Today citing national data. Since 1990, at least 1,193 children have died and another 7,500 have survived with injuries.
Heat kills fast. A parked car can climb 20 degrees in just 10 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Ad Council.
Herman's warning comes as dangerous heat continues across much of Texas. His office urged parents and caregivers to never leave a child alone in a hot car under any circumstances.
What parents can do
NHTSA and the Ad Council recommend a three-step habit called "Stop. Look. Lock." — stop after parking, look in the back seat and lock the car once everyone is out.
Additional prevention tips from Kids and Car Safety include placing a personal item such as a phone or bag in the back seat as a reminder, and asking your child's daycare to call if the child does not arrive as expected.
Spring-area residents who see a child alone in a vehicle should call 911 immediately.
