Kentucky Doctor Accidentally Left 10-Month-Old Granddaughter in Hot Car for Hours, Leading to Tragic Death
A 10-month-old girl in Kentucky died after she was accidentally left inside a parked vehicle for several hours on a day when outdoor temperatures climbed to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
The infant, Scottie Gwyn Crowell, was discovered unconscious in the backseat of her grandmother’s car on August 13. The vehicle had been parked outside Owensboro Health Multicare in Madisonville, where the grandmother, Dr. Stacey Fazenbaker, was working.
According to police, Fazenbaker, 61, had agreed to pick up her granddaughter that morning and take her to daycare. Instead, investigators believe she drove directly to work and unintentionally left the child strapped into her car seat in the back of the vehicle.
Scottie remained inside the car for approximately eight hours before she was found.
Authorities said temperatures outside reached about 95 degrees Fahrenheit that afternoon. Conditions inside the vehicle were reportedly even more extreme, with the temperature inside the car believed to have climbed as high as 115 degrees Fahrenheit.
The tragedy came to light when Scottie’s father arrived at the daycare center at around 4 p.m. to pick up his daughter. Staff members reportedly told him that the baby had never been brought to the facility that morning.
The family then realized that something had gone seriously wrong.
Investigators determined that Fazenbaker had apparently driven to her workplace after picking up the baby but had forgotten that Scottie was still in the vehicle. The child was left in the backseat while her grandmother went inside the medical facility to work.
When Fazenbaker eventually returned to the car, she discovered the baby still strapped into her seat. She reportedly ran outside with several co-workers after realizing what had happened.
However, by that point, it was too late to save the child.
Madisonville Police Major Jason McKnight said officers attempted emergency lifesaving measures after arriving at the scene, but Scottie could not be revived. The infant was pronounced dead following the failed efforts to save her.
The circumstances surrounding the death are now being investigated by local authorities.
Police have not yet filed criminal charges against Fazenbaker. Investigators are continuing to examine the events leading up to the child’s death, including how and why the grandmother failed to remember that the baby was in the vehicle.
McKnight indicated that charges could potentially be considered later depending on what investigators discover. He said the case could eventually be presented to a grand jury if authorities determine that criminal charges are appropriate.
Fazenbaker was also tested for drugs and alcohol as part of the investigation. Police reportedly do not expect those tests to produce positive results.
Authorities have emphasized that the investigation is still ongoing and that the full circumstances of the incident have not yet been established.
An autopsy is expected to provide additional information about Scottie’s official cause of death. Investigators will use the findings, along with other evidence, to determine exactly what happened during the hours the infant was inside the vehicle.
The death has devastated Scottie’s family, who described her as a deeply loved child.
Fazenbaker had reportedly moved to Madisonville about a year before the incident so she could live closer to her daughter, Sydni Crowell, 33. Sydni is also a physician and works as an OB-GYN in the area.
Scottie was the second child of her parents. She was born on September 20, 2025, following an in-vitro fertilization procedure, according to reports.
The infant had spent that morning in the care of her grandmother, who had volunteered to take her to daycare. What was supposed to be an ordinary morning routine instead became a devastating tragedy for the entire family.
Scottie’s aunt, Emmy Fazenbaker, who works as a sports reporter for Middle Tennessee State University, shared a tribute to the baby on social media following her death.
In her emotional message, she expressed the family’s love for Scottie and mourned the loss of the young girl.
The incident also highlights the extreme danger posed by leaving children inside vehicles, even when outdoor temperatures may not initially appear dangerously high. Cars can heat up rapidly, and temperatures inside a closed vehicle can become dramatically higher than those outside.
Young children are particularly vulnerable to heat exposure because their bodies heat up faster than those of adults. In extreme conditions, being trapped inside a hot vehicle for an extended period can quickly become fatal.
In Scottie’s case, the vehicle was reportedly exposed to summer temperatures for roughly eight hours. With outdoor temperatures approaching 95 degrees Fahrenheit, conditions inside the car became potentially lethal.
Police have not indicated that Fazenbaker deliberately left the baby inside the vehicle. Instead, investigators have described the incident as an apparent failure to remember that the child was still in the car.
The investigation will determine whether that explanation is supported by the available evidence and whether any criminal responsibility should follow.
Authorities have urged the public to remain aware of the risks associated with children and hot vehicles. A momentary lapse in routine can have irreversible consequences, particularly during periods of extreme heat.
For Scottie’s family, however, the investigation cannot undo the loss of their daughter, granddaughter and sister. The family is now grieving the death of a child who was only 10 months old.
As police continue examining the circumstances, the case remains under investigation. No charges had been filed at the time of the latest reports, and officials said any decision about possible prosecution would depend on the evidence collected.
The medical examination and autopsy are expected to play an important role in establishing the exact cause of Scottie’s death. Investigators will also continue reviewing the timeline of that morning, the grandmother’s movements, and what happened between the time Scottie was placed in the car and when she was ultimately discovered.
What began as a routine trip to daycare ended in an unimaginable loss. The case has left Scottie’s family and the local community mourning the death of a baby whose life was cut tragically short.
