Dad ‘left toddler son to die in hot car for 3 hours while he went to bar and got hair cut' as boy's body hit 111 degrees
A DAD has been arrested after his helpless 18-month-old son died from being locked in a blazing hot car for three excruciating hours.
Scott Allen Gardner, 33, got a haircut and went drinking at a bar while his little boy's temperature rose to a brutal 111 degrees, police said.
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The dad stands accused of ditching his son in the middle of the afternoon on June 6, when temperatures in Ormond Beach, Florida, north of Orlando, soared to 92 degrees.
After finally leaving Hanky Panky's Lounge, Gardner went on to wait hours before finally calling the police and reporting the death, the Volusia Sheriff's Department said.
When detectives interviewed the dad, he allegedly lied multiple times about what had happened.
Two weeks after his son's death, Gardner was arrested at his mother's home, video released by the sheriff's department reveals.
He was sitting on the front porch when cops barged in, and he appeared to be arrested without any protest.
Gardner was cuffed by the same Ormond Beach police officer who desperately tried to save his son's life.
While Gardner was being led out, someone could be heard saying, "Scotty I love you," and he said, "Love you guys" back.
"Say goodbye because you're not gonna come back here again," responded one of the arresting officers.
Gardner's mom mourned the loss of the baby on Facebook and shared several pictures of the dad holding his son.
"This is a challenging time for me and my family, but together we will find strength," wrote the grandmother on Facebook.
She also shared a fundraiser where friends and family gave money and shared their condolences.
Gardner has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect, causing great bodily harm.
Officials said they would release more information about his arrest on Friday.
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PARENTS WARNED
Safety experts have urged parents not to lock their children in a car, even on cloudy days that don't seem hot.
Children's temperatures rise three to five times faster than adults, so being trapped in a warm environment can turn dangerous very quickly, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
When a child's body temperature reaches about 104 degrees, heatstroke can happen.
Once the temperature reaches 107 degrees, the child can die.
In 2024, a devastating 39 children died of heatstroke while trapped in vehicles. That number was up 35% from 2023.
Parents should know that rolling down windows or parking in the shade does little to prevent potentially fatal heat from getting trapped inside a car.
Kids should never be left for any period of time, and parents should make it a habit to check their entire vehicle before leaving.
Around 50% of deaths take place after parents forget that a sleeping kid was in the backseat.
The arrest comes after a dad trapped his daughter in a 109-degree car so he could go inside their home and play PlayStation.
He claimed that the car was running with the air conditioning but it abruptly shut off while he was gone.
And a father was devastated when an elderly family member forgot to take his twin toddlers out of a car in the summer.
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What happens to a child locked in a car
HERE is a minute-by-minute analysis of what can happen to a child locked in a car on a 72 degree day with scattered clouds.
40 mins:
hyperthermia
sweating
thirst
very uncomfortable
60 mins:
severe sweating
flushed
increased heart rate
children with epilepsy may start convulsing
90 mins (life-threatening):
fainting
dehydration
weakness
vomiting
breathlessness
165 mins (medical emergency):
severe headache
dizziness
confusion
hallucinations
delirium
medical emergency
78.8 degrees with a clear sky in a dark car (the car may reach 151.7 degrees).
30 mins:
hyperthermia
sweating
thirst
very uncomfortable
45 mins:
severe sweating
flushed
increased heart rate
children with epilepsy may start convulsing
70 mins (life-threatening):
fainting
dehydration
weakness
vomiting
breathlessness
110 mins (medical emergency):
severe headache
dizziness
confusion
hallucinations
delirium
medical emergency
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