Father accused of drinking alcohol throughout the day as 1-year-old child died in hot car

BROOKWOOD, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) — A father in Alabama is accused of leaving his 1-year-old child in a hot vehicle while he drank alcohol, leading to the child’s death.

The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said Logan Keith Chewning, 30, has been charged with manslaughter.

Capt. Jack Kennedy said first responders were called to a home Wednesday evening after a family reported finding a 1-year-old dead inside a vehicle, still buckled into a car seat.

Investigators found that the child had been solely in the care of Chewning all day.

Chewning reportedly admitted to investigators that he had been drinking alcohol throughout the day and left the home at one point to buy more.

Authorities said that Chewning told them he thought the child had been sleeping in a crib and that he must have accidentally left the child inside the vehicle.

Kennedy said the initial investigation shows the child was left in the vehicle for an extended period of time.

“It should be noted that afternoon temperatures were in the mid-90s,” Kennedy said.

Chewning was arrested and charged with manslaughter. He was booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail. His bond will be set at his initial court appearance.