Investigation Launched After Death of Toddler Left in Hot Car by State Contractor

A shocking incident has prompted an investigation after the tragic death of a three-year-old boy named Ke’Torrius Starkes Jr. in Alabama. The child, who was in foster care, had been picked up by a contractor working for the state human resources department following a supervised visit with his father. Instead of being taken to daycare, he was left alone in a car with tinted windows on a particularly hot day in the suburb of Bessemer, near Birmingham.

The Birmingham police received a report around 5:30 PM about an unresponsive child and responded to a private residence. Upon arrival, they discovered that Ke’Torrius had been accidentally left inside the vehicle by a contracted worker from the Department of Human Resources. Unfortunately, the boy was declared dead at the scene. Jefferson County’s chief deputy coroner, Bill Yates, reported that the vehicle was turned off, locked, and the interior was extremely hot; thus far, there is no evidence of any alternative cause of death.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Alabama Department of Human Resources confirmed that the child was in the care of a contracted transport provider when the incident took place and noted that that provider has since terminated the employee responsible. As the investigation continues, police are looking into potential criminal charges related to the case. State Senator Merika Coleman has expressed her concern regarding the need for answers and highlighted the possibility of reviewing state legislation to prevent similar tragedies in the future.