Toddler Dies in Hot Car Under State Care

A Tragic Incident: The Death of a 3-Year-Old in a Hot Car

The family of 3-year-old Ke’Torrius “K.J.” Starkes Jr. is remembering the little boy as a joyful, brilliant, and happy child who brought light to every room he entered. His life was tragically cut short after he was left trapped inside a hot car while in the custody of a worker contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), the state’s child protective services agency.

According to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office and the DHR, K.J. died after being left alone in a vehicle for several hours during the middle of the day on Tuesday. The Birmingham Police Department is currently investigating the incident.

The toddler was reportedly left inside a car parked outside a home in Birmingham for an extended period. During this time, the temperature was extremely high, with humidity levels contributing to heat index values ranging from 101 to 105 degrees. This made the environment particularly dangerous for a young child.

Courtney French, the family’s attorney, expressed deep sorrow over the incident, calling it a brutal death. She emphasized the difficulty of comprehending how a baby could be left in a hot car without any recollection of the child's presence. "It’s just hard to comprehend that you would leave a baby in a hot car and just have no recollection whatsoever that the baby, a 3-year-old child, is trapped in your car," she said.

K.J. had been picked up by a worker from his daycare at 9 a.m. on Tuesday for a supervised visit with his father. This visit was part of a court-ordered process aimed at helping the parents regain custody of their son. However, instead of returning K.J. immediately to daycare, the worker took him on multiple personal errands, with the child buckled in a car seat in the back of her vehicle.

According to a timeline provided by the family’s attorney, the employee returned home at 12:30 p.m., leaving K.J. strapped inside the vehicle with all windows closed and the engine off. He remained in the parked car outside the employee’s home for more than five hours before the daycare contacted the worker to inquire about the delay. It was then that the worker realized K.J. was still in the vehicle and called 911. Unfortunately, K.J. was pronounced dead at 6:03 p.m.

"This would have never happened had K.J. been with his parents," French added, highlighting the tragic circumstances surrounding the incident.

The Alabama Department of Human Resources stated that the incident occurred while the child was "in DHR custody" and "being transported by a contract provider." The department also mentioned that the contract provider has terminated the employee involved. Due to confidentiality, the agency did not provide further details about the identity of the child or the exact circumstances of the incident.

K.J.’s father described his son as a bright and curious child. "He knew how to count, knew his colors. Three years old, he knew all the animals," the father told a local news affiliate. "He was just joyful."

A balloon release and memorial event are planned to support K.J.’s family, according to French. These events aim to honor the memory of the young boy and raise awareness about the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles.

K.J.’s death marks the first hot car death in Alabama this year and is at least the 16th child to die in such incidents nationwide in 2025, according to Amber Rollins, director of Kids and Car Safety, a nonprofit organization focused on preventing these tragedies.

This heartbreaking case underscores the importance of vigilance and responsibility when caring for children, especially in situations where they are under the supervision of others. It also highlights the need for continued education and awareness around the risks associated with leaving children in hot cars.