Florida toddler died in hot truck while dad got haircut, drank at bar, deputies say

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – An 18-month-old child in Florida has died after he was left in a hot truck for several hours, while his dad allegedly got a haircut and grabbed a drink at a bar, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and Ormond Beach Police Department.

The boy’s father, Scott Allen Gardner, was arrested Thursday on charges of aggravated manslaughter and child neglect.

What we know:

The incident happened on Friday, June 6, at the Hank Panky’s Lounge in Ormond Beach, Florida.

According to VSO, 18-month-old Sebastian was “left helpless” in a hot truck for more than three hours on Friday, while his dad got a haircut and grabbed a drink.

“During the investigation, Gardner gave multiple false accounts of what occurred that day,” VSO said in a news release on Facebook.

Paramedics estimated that the boy’s body was 111 degrees, VSO said. According to weather data, the recorded high temperature for Ormond Beach on Friday, June 6, was 92 degrees. 

Gardner was arrested Thursday at his mother’s home in Ormond Beach – nearly two weeks after his son’s death.

Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood is expected to discuss the incident and the arrest during a press conference on Friday.

Hot car deaths

According to the National Safety Council, 37 children (under 15) die every year on average after suffering heatstroke after being left in a vehicle. 

In 2024, 39 kids died, according to the Council’s website. So far in 2025, at least 6 deaths have been reported.