In a heartbreaking incident that has shocked the Corpus Christi community, a 22-month-old child named Harley Adame tragically died after being left in a hot car for several hours on Tuesday. The mother, identified as Hilda Adame, told investigators she had forgotten to drop off her daughter at daycare that morning, a mistake that led to the unimaginable loss of her child.
A Morning Routine Gone Wrong
According to an arrest affidavit from the Corpus Christi Police Department, the tragedy unfolded on Tuesday morning when Hilda Adame, a staff member at Tom Browne Middle School, was supposed to drop off her daughter, Harley Adame, at a daycare located somewhere along Kostoryz Road. Adame later recounted to detectives that her daughter had fallen asleep in the backseat of the family’s 2020 Chevy Traverse.
In a devastating memory lapse, Adame drove to work, parked her vehicle, and entered the school, unaware that Harley was still inside the SUV. The car remained parked under the scorching Texas sun for several hours as temperatures soared.
The Horrifying Discovery
It wasn’t until approximately 1 p.m., five hours after parking, that Adame returned to her vehicle. The horror of the situation struck her as she discovered her young daughter still strapped in her car seat, lifeless after enduring the extreme heat. Panicked and desperate, Adame rushed Harley into the school’s nurse’s office, where CPR was immediately initiated. Emergency services were called, and first responders arrived by 1:29 p.m.
Harley was quickly transported to Driscoll Children’s Hospital, but despite the medical team’s efforts, she was pronounced dead at 1:53 p.m. The unbearable heat inside the vehicle had already taken its toll.
Legal Consequences and Community Outrage
Following the incident, Hilda Adame was taken into custody and questioned by the police. She was later arrested and charged with Injury to a Child/Serious Bodily Injury and Abandoning/Endangering a Child with Imminent Bodily Injury. These charges reflect the severe consequences of her tragic mistake, which has left an indelible mark on the Corpus Christi community.
The weather on the day of the incident was ferocious, with a record-breaking high temperature of 102 degrees recorded at Corpus Christi International Airport at 1:05 p.m., just minutes before Adame discovered her child. This extreme heat, combined with the enclosed space of the vehicle, created a deadly environment for little Harley.
A Stark Reminder of the Dangers
This devastating incident is a stark reminder of hot cars’ dangers, especially to young children. It highlights the importance of being vigilant, even in busy routines. Harley Adame’s Death is a tragic example of how a momentary lapse in memory can have irreversible consequences.
As the community mourns this heartbreaking loss, parents and caregivers are urged to take extra precautions to ensure such tragedies do not occur again.