Police said no charges will be filed after a 1-year-old girl died after being left in a hot pickup truck all day Wednesday outside the family's home in east Nashville.
Metro Nashville police said that investigators believe the girl's adoptive father left her in the truck "unintentionally," WZTV reports.
The girl has been identified as 1-year-old Katera Barker.
Police said Barker’s adoptive father reportedly forgot that she was still in the car after he dropped her 5-year-old sibling off at day care.
WZTV reports that the father left the family's home around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, dropped the 5-year-old off at day care and arrived back home around 8 a.m. He allegedly left the home about five minutes later and took a ride share to the airport to catch a flight for a business trip.
Police said that the girl’s adoptive mother went to pick up the kids from daycare after she got off work and realized that Barker was never dropped off.
According to WZTV, the woman called her husband and realized the child was still in the car.
When she arrived home, the woman pulled the girl out of the car, called 911 and performed CPR on the child until paramedics arrived.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in Nashville reached a high of 89 degrees, meaning the inside of the truck could have reached nearly 120 degrees.
Police said Barker was pronounced dead when she arrived at Vanderbilt Hospital.
WHNS reports that the girl's adoptive father flew back into Nashville that night after discovering what happened. Investigators said the man and his wife have been cooperative with police.
About the Author