A father in Alabama was charged with manslaughter after his 1-year-old child died in a hot car. The baby was left in the car for a long time and died from suspected pediatric vehicular heatstroke. The accused, identified as 30-year-old Logan Keith Chewning, has been arrested.
Chewning was the sole caretaker of the child and had been caring for the child all day. When the baby was found dead, he was still strapped to his car seat. The Tuscaloosa Sheriff’s Office Deputies, paramedics, Brookwood Fire, Brookwood Police, and Northstar Ambulance were dispatched around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
As per the investigation, the father admitted to drinking throughout the day. Investigators said he later went out to buy more alcohol and did not remember that the baby was in the car. He accidentally left him in the vehicle while he thought the baby was asleep in the crib.
A Tuscaloosa County father is facing a manslaughter charge after investigators say his 1-year-old child was found dead inside a vehicle Wednesday evening.https://t.co/guo0Ob2Os4
— ABC 33/40 News (@abc3340) May 21, 2026
There have been several cases of forgotten baby syndrome where a parent or a caretaker leaves the child unintentionally. However, in the case of Chewning, he was drinking all day.
Because vehicles can heat up rapidly during summer months, and rising cases of infant deaths, many states have made it illegal to leave children unattended in vehicles. Moreover, children’s body temperature may rise three to five times more than that of adults.
According to meteorologist Jan Null, the temperature does not even need to be too hot outside for it to reach an alarmingly high level inside the vehicle. The organization ‘No Heat Stroke’ reported 1,045 children have died due to Pediatric Vehicular Heatstroke since 1998. The organization says the deaths were preventable.
An Alabama father is behind bars after his 1-year-old son was found dead in a hot car, still strapped in his car seat.
The father told authorities he#39;d been drinking all day and thought his son was asleep in his crib. https://t.co/1njW0Qf6Mu pic.twitter.com/o0uLtUhYRQ— carol robinson (@RobinsonCarol) May 21, 2026
Capt. Jack Kennedy added that the baby was left in the vehicle during the afternoon for a long period of time. On Wednesday afternoon, the temperatures were in the mid-90s. Kennedy confirmed there is enough evidence against the father to build a case and charge him with manslaughter.
An autopsy on the baby will be performed to learn about the exact cause of the death. Chewning is in jail without bond. The judge may deny bail based on Aniah’s Law. It is an Alabama state law that allows judges to deny bail in cases involving violent crimes. The accused cannot get bail while awaiting trial and must remain in custody.
