HINTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) — A Summers County man is facing charges after he was found unresponsive inside a vehicle with three young children nearby, including an infant left inside the hot van for an extended period of time.
According to Hinton Police Chief J.J. Crawford, the incident occurred on Friday, June 6, around 4:04 p.m., when dispatchers received a call about an unresponsive man in a van, with small children present. The vehicle was parked in Hinton, West Virginia.
When Chief Crawford arrived on scene, he was met by a witness, who reported seeing a man slumped over in the driver’s seat. Despite her attempts to wake him, she said he remained unresponsive. She also reported seeing an infant in a car seat inside the van and two children playing unsupervised in the nearby river.
The man was later identified as Anthony Shawn Adkins. When approached by officers, Adkins claimed he was “extremely fatigued” and had unintentionally fallen asleep. He admitted to ingesting an unknown purple powder four days prior but couldn’t identify the substance.
Chief Crawford noted the vehicle had been off for about an hour, with the infant still inside and no air conditioning. The baby, just 11 months old, was found sweating heavily and soaked in perspiration—signs of heat exposure. The two older children, ages 5 and 6, told officers they had been waiting in the vehicle “forever” and went to the river to cool off after their dad “freaking passed out.”
With the temperature outside hovering around 82 degrees, police say the children were placed at serious risk.
Chief Crawford has formally requested warrants for Child Neglect Creating Risk of Injury against Adkins. The investigation remains ongoing.
