Kentucky doctor cleared of charges after infant dies in hot car

A Kentucky physician will face no criminal charges after a grand jury determined there was insufficient probable cause to indict her for the death of a 10-month-old grandchild. Madisonville police reported that Scottie Crowell died in August after being left unattended in a hot vehicle for approximately eight hours.

Police records indicate the child’s grandmother picked him up on the morning of August 13 with the intention of taking him to daycare. She reportedly forgot the infant was in the car and proceeded to her shift at Owensboro Health Multi-Care, where she works as a doctor. She arrived at the facility around 8 a.m.

The absence was discovered when Scottie’s father attempted to collect the child from daycare and found he was not there. He contacted his wife, who then called the grandmother at work. The physician immediately checked her vehicle and found the baby inside around 4 p.m., according to police.

First responders arrived after a 911 call and attempted lifesaving measures, but Scottie was pronounced dead. The delay between the grandmother’s arrival at work and the discovery of the child totaled roughly eight hours.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Hannah Kington-Jarvis addressed the case on Tuesday. “I would ask that you keep the infant’s parents and family in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to grieve and process this unimaginable loss,” she said. The grand jury’s decision effectively closes the criminal investigation into the incident.

The decision leaves the family to navigate the civil process without a criminal conviction to support their case. The child’s parents remain the primary claimants in the aftermath of the August tragedy.