2 Children Found Dead After Accidentally Locking Themselves Inside of a Car

Every year parents are warned about the dangers of leaving children inside of a hot car, but for one mother from Parker County, TX, the nightmare aftermath of that situation unfortunately became a reality in a different form when her two children allegedly sneaked out of their home and accidentally locked themselves inside a vehicle.

The mother reportedly told Parker County police that her two children "took off" without informing her. After initially searching her home on Friday, the mother went outside and discovered her 2-year-old daughter and 16-month-old son dead inside of an overheated car. According to ABC News, temperatures outside the vehicle reached 96 degrees.

The mother told police that she broke into one of the windows before she found her two children unresponsive. Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler released a statement about the "especially heartbreaking" tragedy, saying the case is "still in the early stages" of an active investigation.