In a devastating incident in Charlotte, North Carolina, an 8-year-old girl tragically lost her life after being left in a hot car. The child's mother now faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse due to her willful act causing serious injury.

According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, the young girl was discovered in critical condition inside a vehicle on Wednesday evening. She was immediately rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to a heat-related medical emergency.

The arrest affidavit revealed that the woman left her daughter in the car while she went to work. She claimed to have left the air running in the vehicle, but the child may have turned it off as she felt cold. The last communication from the child was a text message sent to her mother about an hour and a half before the tragic discovery.

Desperate to save her daughter, the woman used a hammer to break the back window of the car. She then drove to the hospital but made a stop at a nearby business to seek assistance, prompting a call to emergency services.

Despite the efforts of responders and medical staff, the young girl was pronounced dead early Thursday morning at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center.

The woman admitted to police that she should not have left her child in the car, especially considering the temperature outside was a scorching 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34.4 degrees Celsius). She has been assigned a public defender and is expected to appear in court for her next hearing on July 17.

This tragic incident highlights the dangers associated with leaving children unattended in vehicles, particularly during hot weather. According to the National Highway Safety Traffic Safety Administration, approximately once every 10 days, a child dies from heatstroke due to being left in a car. Shockingly, over 1,000 children have lost their lives in such circumstances over the past three decades.

Furthermore, CBS News data analysis reveals that an alarming 83% of hot car deaths over the past six years occurred between May and September, emphasizing the need for heightened awareness during the warmer months.

As this heartbreaking case makes its way through the legal process, it serves as a somber reminder of the importance of ensuring children are never left unattended in vehicles, particularly when temperatures can quickly become lethal.