ROANOKE (WSLS) - Dozens of people in Southeast Roanoke gathered to remember the life of a 2-year-old girl Monday night.
Roanoke City Police believe the girl was unknowingly left in a closed van by a parent for an extended period of time.
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Cindy Ketchum, who has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years, says the tragedy is heart-wrenching.
An organization called Kids and Cars is working to prevent these kinds of deaths. It reports this is the first case of a hot-car death in Virginia so far this year, and the 24th in the country.
The numbers have prompted some people to look for ways to stop another tragedy.
Matthew Sheets created a device called Starfish, which is a weight-activated car seat sensor.
"This spring I guess I hit a threshold, along with having my son and realizing this is not something that happens to one type of person," Sheets said.
Kids and Cars reports that many of the incidents are reported as accidental.