Pulitzer for infant hyperthermia

It's a sprawling narrative by Gene Weingarten on a heart-wrenching topic of parents unintentionally leaving their babies in a car in sweltering heat to die of hyperthermia. It won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. It traces the stories of several bereaved mothers and fathers who made what looks like an unlikely mistake - forgetting there was their baby in the back seat of their car. Due to distraction, change of routine or stress, a handful of Americans each year kill their own children this way, opening up festering wounds for themselves and their families, as well as challenging the justice system with cases of unusual manslaughter.

It's a gripping article, impossible to put down as it shuttles between culprits of several such incidents, reporting their grief, sense of loss and survival tactics after a tiny memory glitch led to hurt of unspeakable proportions. We are also let in on research results into similar accidents that indict human brain as liable for failing to provide defences in such situations (Swiss Cheese Model), look at legal battles that result from a unique status of defendants and take a glimpse at car safety devices and tips that can help prevent further infant hyperthermia deaths. The piece stands out on originality, literary value and passionate, many-sided reporting.