3-year-old Cullman County boy dies after being found in hot car
CULLMAN COUNTY — A 3-year-old Holly Pond
child is the 16th child nationally to die in a hot car this
year, and the first from Alabama in 2021.
Johnathan
Milam, known as “LJ” to family and friends, was found
unresponsive in a hot vehicle outside his family’s home on
Sunday, August 22. The child was immediately transported to
Cullman Regional Hospital, where he died. A GoFundMe has been
set up to help his family defray funeral and medical costs.
Investigators with the Cullman County Sheriff’s Office
declined to release further details on the incident. However,
Sheriff Matt Gentry characterized the boy’s death “appears to be
a tragic accident,” to reporters from al.com, while noting that
the incident is still under investigation.
Milam is
survived by his parents and an older sister.
The website
KidsandCars.com lists 15 other hot car deaths involving children
in the United States in 2021. In 2020, there were 26. The
website states that nationally, an average of 39 children die in
hot cars every year.