Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in hot van, authorities say

A 3-year-old boy in Middle Tennessee who had been reported missing was found dead inside a broken-down van on Tuesday, authorities said.

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According to the Cheatham County Sheriff’s Office, the boy was found in Pegram after family members realized the toddler was missing, WZTV reported.

The Kids and Cars Safety website reported that the boy’s death was the 18th hot car fatality nationwide and the second in Tennessee.

On April 15, a 7-month-old baby was left in a vehicle in Monterey, the website noted.

Child found dead in vehicle in Cheatham Countyhttps://t.co/zN16QHJdeW
— WKRN News 2 (@WKRN) August 11, 2026

Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Lt. Shannon Heflin said a 911 call was made at approximately 4:06 p.m. CT on Tuesday about the boy, who had last been seen approximately three hours earlier, according to WKRN.

Around 4 p.m., other children in the home woke from their naps, and family members realized the 3-year-old was missing, WZTV reported.

Investigators do not believe the child was left in the van, but had gotten up from a nap and wandered into the vehicle, located on the property, after opening the door, the television station reported.

Heflin said that while the child was able to shut the door behind him, he was apparently unable to reopen it once he was inside, according to WKRN.

Another sibling found the boy unresponsive inside the van. While CPR was administered, first responders were unable to save him, the television station reported.

Heflin said it was unclear how long the boy was inside the vehicle before he was discovered. He added that an investigation was ongoing, and it was unclear whether charges would be filed in what he called “a tragic incident,” WKRN reported.

“The most important thing is to educate the general public of how hot it is and make sure you don’t leave a child inside a vehicle because this could be the result,” Heflin told reporters at a news conference. “It’s very tragic.”

A spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services confirmed to WKRN that it is involved in the investigation.