Authorities have released the cause of death of a woman who became trapped in the back of her husband’s Miami police SUV: heatstroke.
Clara Paulino died Aug. 21. The 56-year-old had climbed in the back of the cruiser in search of something, but the door somehow closed and the automatic locking mechanism prevented her from escaping.
58-year-old Aristides Paulino was inside their home sleeping off a long midnight shift.
The woman who got trapped in the back of husband’s Miami Police SUV died of heat stroke, the county medical examiner’s office investigation has ruled.
Clara Paulino’s death was also deemed an accident.https://t.co/hW2PeJnNhn
— Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) October 27, 2020
Authorities believe his wife was in the hot vehicle for several hours as outside temperatures climbed into the upper 90s. Her body was discovered by her husband and son early that evening. Bruising on her hands suggest she had been fighting to get out or get attention.
What might have prevented Paulino’s death? Should new vehicles be equipped with a sensor to detect movement inside if temps reach a certain level?
