Boy found dead after being trapped in trunk of car

TULSA, Okla.-A 12-year-old boy was found dead by his family Sunday after he was apparently trapped in the trunk of a car in the family's driveway in triple-digit heat.<br><br>Police are investigating

Monday, September 4th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla.-A 12-year-old boy was found dead by his family Sunday after he was apparently trapped in the trunk of a car in the family's driveway in triple-digit heat.

Police are investigating the death of Joseph Prosser as an accident, Sgt. Tim Bracken said.

He said the family reported finding Prosser at around 3:30 p.m.

Neighbors said the family had looked for the boy up and down the street for an hour. The boy's sister found him in the trunk of a rental car the family was using while their car was broken down.

Bracken said it appeared Prosser crawled into the trunk by lowering the back seat of the car and then closing it back. There was no latch on the inside of the trunk.

Bracken said an adult might have been able to kick the backseat down, but that Prosser was too small.

An emergency crew tried to revive the boy, but he was pronounced dead before an ambulance reached the house.

Bracken said officials did not know how long Prosser had been in the car.

Bracken said a medical examiner would have to determine the exact cause of death, but that he thought the boy died from the heat rather than suffocation.

"I would say heat because I think there was enough air (in the trunk)," Bracken said.

The temperature in Tulsa at 3 p.m. Sunday was 105 degrees, with a heat index of 108, the National Weather Service reported.