A toddler is dead after he was left for hours in a hot car by a Department of Human Resources worker who was supposed to be taking the child back to daycare following a supervised visit with his biological father.

Ke’Torrius Starks Jr. was found alone and unresponsive on Tuesday inside a vehicle parked outside a Birmingham home in the 1500 block of Pine Tree Drive, AL.com reported. The 3-year-old was likely in the vehicle, which reached temperatures of 150 degrees, from around 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

He was pronounced dead about an hour later.

The family’s attorney, Courtney French, told ABC 3340 Ke’Torrius had been in temporary foster care, and that a worker employed through The Covenant Services, Inc. picked him up from daycare at 9:00 a.m. for a supervised visit with his biological father, which ended around 11:30 a.m. Instead of bringing him back to daycare, though, she picked up food for her family and stopped by a tobacco store. She then returned home and exited her car without Ke’Torrius.

A spokesperson for Alabama’s DHR confirmed the employee was a “contract provider” who has since been ‘terminated.” They did not provide further details.

Ke’Torrius’ death remains under investigation.

“A heartbreaking and preventable tragedy,” French noted. “Based upon a preliminary investigation, with the current extreme outside temperatures and the heat index of 108 degrees, the interior temperature of the car where KJ was trapped likely exceeded 150 degrees.”

https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/07/25/toddler-dies-hot-car-alabama-department-human-resources/