GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – ECU Health, along with Safe Kids Pitt County and the Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, held a hot car safety demonstration Thursday morning to raise awareness about the life-threatening risks of leaving children, pets, or seniors in unattended vehicles.
The event took place in the parking lot of Kohl’s on Galleria Drive, where organizers used live demonstrations including roasting s’mores inside a parked car to show how quickly temperatures can soar to dangerous levels. A thermometer inside one of the vehicles revealed how car interiors can exceed 120 degrees within minutes, even on a mild day.
Ellen Walston, Injury Prevention Program coordinator with ECU Health Medical Center, said a child’s body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult’s, which makes the risk especially deadly.
Attendees also received practical tips for preventing hot car deaths, such as placing essential items, like a cell phone, purse, or briefcase in the back seat as a reminder to check before leaving the car.
This public awareness event is part of a larger effort to prevent heat-related injuries and fatalities, particularly during the peak of summer.
Greenville Police, Pitt County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Insurance, Red Oak Fire Department and ECU Health were all in attendance.
No injuries or incidents were reported at the demonstration.
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