2-year-old dies after 8 hours alone in hot car, VA deputies say. Guardian charged
The caretaker of a 2-year-old found dead after spending hours alone in a hot car has been charged in the toddler’s death, Virginia deputies told news outlets.
Brian L. Dalton was arrested and charged with abuse and neglect of children and involuntary manslaughter, the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office said Aug. 1.
Deputies were called just before 3:45 p.m. Thursday, July 31, about an unresponsive 2-year-old at the Chestnut Academy Daycare in Amherst, WSLS reported, citing the sheriff’s office. Medics administered first aid to the boy, who wasn’t breathing, deputies told the outlet.
The child was taken to a hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead, deputies said.
Authorities identified him as Hudley Owen Hamlett, WSET reported.
McClatchy News reached out to the Amherst County Sheriff’s Office for more information Aug. 1 and was awaiting a response.
Authorities said the toddler had been left alone in the car for “over 8 hours.” Temperatures in Amherst reached nearly 90 degrees on Thursday with a low of 73, according to AccuWeather.
Investigators learned Dalton, the boy’s guardian, forgot to drop him off at day care that morning, WFXR reported. He drove straight to work and unknowingly left the toddler in the backseat, deputies told the station.
“It’s just a tragedy that we never, never expect to happen, never should happen, but it’s unfortunate that it did,” Sheriff L.J. Ayers said at a news conference streamed by WSET. He added that the boy was in the foster care system.
Dalton returned to the day care to pick up the toddler that afternoon and was told the child hadn’t been dropped off that day, the station reported, citing authorities.
Ayers said the investigation is ongoing, adding that there’s no evidence to suggest the incident was intentional.
Amherst is about a 120-mile drive west from downtown Richmond.
Hot car deaths in U.S.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that nearly 37 children die from heatstroke each year, either due to being left alone or becoming trapped in a hot car.
Hot car deaths are most common in the summer, but they can happen at any time, according to the administration. The first “vehicular heatstroke” of the year typically happens in March.
“Leaving a window open is not enough — temperatures inside the car can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes, even with a window cracked open,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
If you see a child alone in a vehicle, officials said you should make sure the child is responsive and if not, immediately call 911.
This story was originally published August 1, 2025 at 4:55 PM with the headline "2-year-old dies after 8 hours alone in hot car, VA deputies say. Guardian charged."