With the arrival of hot summer weather in Wyoming, the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Department is reminding people about the hazards of leaving children in parked cars.

Sheriff Mike Lowell says dozens of children across the country die every year from heat stroke in parked vehicles. He says already this year kids have died in parked vehicles in Texas, Arkansas, and Alabama. Lowell says besides the deaths many more children survive but suffer permanent injuries.

Sheriff's Department spokesman Dick Blust says no child should ever be left in a parked vehicle, even for a moment. He says it isn't safe even if the windows are open and the air conditioning is running.

On a hot day, the temperature inside a parked vehicle can top 120 degrees in just minutes. Generally speaking, heat stroke occurs when body temperature reaches 104 degrees, and a temperature of 107 is considered lethal.

Sheriff Lowell also says people should call law enforcement immediately if they see a child alone in a parked vehicle.

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