As detectives were investigating how a 2-year-old child died in Hallandale Beach, police officers asked those who care for kids to check the back seat of their cars before walking away.

The 2-year-old child was under the care of a babysitter when police officers responded to a parked car on Sunday at Northwest Seventh Avenue and Ninth Court, according to the Hallandale Beach Police Department.

Fire rescue personnel and police officers responded shortly after 1:35 p.m., and the child was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to police.

More than 50% of pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths happen after a caregiver accidentally forgets a child in the back seat, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Children are at a higher risk of heatstroke than adults since their body temperature rises three to five times faster.

Safety tips

Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.

If you see a child alone in a locked car, act immediately and call 911.

A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled.

Store car keys and fobs out of a child’s reach and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area.

Remember that rolling the vehicle’s windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle.

Write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger’s seat to remind you that a child is in the back seat.

Source: NHTSA