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Deputies: 2-year-old dies after being left in hot car in Volusia County

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A 2-year-old girl died Thursday after Volusia County deputies said the toddler was left in a hot car for more than 2 hours.

Deputies said the Orange City family, including the 2-year-old girl and her two older brothers, ages 15 and 8, returned home from lunch in DeLand around 2:40 p.m. Thursday.

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Around 5 p.m., deputies said the family found the toddler unresponsive in the car. They rushed her to the hospital where deputies said she was pronounced dead before 6 p.m.

Deputies said the circumstances of the child’s death are under active investigation by the Volusia Sheriff’s Major Case Unit.

Read: Mother released from jail after baby dies in hot car while she attended church

This is the second hot-car death reported in Central Florida in the past month. Less than two weeks ago, an 11-month-old died after being left in the car while her mother attended church in Brevard County.

Statistics show half of all hot car deaths this year happened in Florida.

Stay tuned to Channel 9 Eyewitness News for updates.

Read: Safety advocates push for federal changes to prevent the deaths of kids left in hot cars

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Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.