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3d ago

Contract Worker Fired as Police Probe Alabama Foster Child’s Hot Car Death

The Department of Human Resources has limited comment after terminating its transporter following the boy’s five-hour confinement in a vehicle that exceeded 150 degrees.

Ke’torrius “K.J.” Starkes, Jr dies in hot car in Alabama while in state custody.
KJ was strapped inside the parked vehicle for hours outside the employee's home, the family's attorney told CNN.

Overview

  • Birmingham police are conducting an active investigation into the death of Ketorrius “KJ” Starks Jr. after discovering he was left alone in a parked car from about 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on July 22.
  • Alabama DHR confirmed the transporter, employed through The Covenant Services, Inc., has been fired and the case has been referred to law enforcement.
  • Officials estimate that with a heat index of 108 °F on the day of the incident, the car’s interior likely reached temperatures above 150 °F, posing extreme danger to the toddler.
  • Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified the boy and family attorney Courtney French described the incident as preventable, underscoring how quickly young children can succumb to vehicular heat.
  • Safety advocates note this is Alabama’s first hot car fatality of 2025 and the 16th nationwide, calling for stronger oversight and technological safeguards in child transport services.