Coroner: Death of baby left in car outside Greenville home under investigation

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Greenville County Coroner’s Office is investigating the death of a baby who was left in a vehicle in Greenville.

The coroner said 1-year-old Joe Avery James Lockaby was visiting the home of his grandmother on Rogers Avenue on May 31.

According to officials, Joe was left “for a period of time” inside a car parked in the driveway outside the home. When his grandmother got him out of the vehicle, he was unresponsive, the coroner said.

According to Joe’s mother, Krista Nix, he was spending the night at his grandmother’s house and she was taking him to McDonald’s to get a Happy Meal. When Joe was carried out to the car, Nix said his grandmother realized she left her keys inside and went back to the house but suffered from a medical issue and collapsed.

When she came to, Nix said his grandmother found Joe breathing heavily in the car and called 911.

Joe was pronounced dead on scene at 5 p.m.

Results from an autopsy performed on June 1 have not yet been released. The case is under investigation by the coroner and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office.

A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for funeral expenses. Click here to contribute.