Father Charged After Infant Found Dead in Hot Car
A father in Nebraska is facing charges related to the death of his five-month-old son, who was left in a hot car during a high-temperature advisory.
The Hastings Police Department responded to reports of an unresponsive infant in a vehicle at a parking lot around 5 PM on Monday. Sadly, when they arrived, the baby was found unresponsive in the car. The child was quickly transported to Mary Running Healthcare, located about five miles away, where he was sadly pronounced dead.
A preliminary investigation indicated that the cause of death was extreme heat exposure. Later that day, the child’s father, Jeremy Hansen, was arrested.
Hansen, aged 36, has been charged with negligent child abuse leading to the boy’s death. In a statement, the police department expressed their sadness over the incident, extending condolences to the child’s family, friends, and first responders affected by this tragic loss.
The temperatures in Hastings reached the late 90s that day. Hansen was formally charged by the Adams County District Attorney on Tuesday and is set to appear in court on Friday.
The small community is responding to the tragedy, with fundraisers initiated to assist Hansen’s family. Reports indicate that nearly 400 people contributed over $37,000 as of Thursday. Individuals within the community have also volunteered to provide meals for the couple’s three surviving children for the next three months.
Some residents appear to be vocal about wanting tougher accountability from prosecutors regarding Hansen’s charges. One friend of Hansen’s expressed deep disappointment over the public judgment online, noting the difficulty of navigating such a profound loss while under scrutiny.
Additionally, statistics state that five children died in hot cars in Nebraska between 1990 and 2024. Nationwide, over 1,100 children have tragically lost their lives in similar incidents since 1990, with 88% of those fatalities involving children under three years old.
On average, about 40 children in the U.S. die from heat stroke in vehicles each year.
