Florida Dad Arrested After Toddler Dies in Hot Car While He Allegedly Got a Haircut and Went Drinking: Police

A Florida dad was arrested on Thursday in connection with the death of his toddler, who was left inside a hot car earlier this month while he got a haircut and a drink, according to law enforcement.

Scott Allen Gardner, 33, was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing great bodily harm in the death of his 18-month-old son Sebastian, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office said.

Officers with the Ormond Beach Police Department assisted in Gardner’s arrest.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said to “never leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time” and that “rolling windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle.”

“A child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s. When a child is left in a vehicle, that child’s temperature can rise quickly – and the situation can quickly become dangerous,” according to the NHTSA.

This incident is the seventh hot car death this year, according to the National Security Council’s website. (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office)

“In 2024, 39 children died of heatstroke in vehicles — up 35% from 2023,” according to a report on the agency’s website.

Sebastian is the seventh hot car death this year and the 115th child in Florida to die in a hot car, the National Security Council’s website said.