A 6-year-old girl has been found dead after reportedly being left in a hot daycare van. As reported by KTIV 4, her family says that she was autistic and non-verbal.
The Memphis Police Department confirmed that officers had arrived at Kid University at around 3:15 pm on August 14. There, they found Winter Jones unresponsive in the daycare van.
Her family explained that she was taken to the emergency room, where she was later pronounced dead. Her uncle, Christopher Jones, revealed that her being neurodivergent could have contributed to her death.
"So... she really couldn't let anybody know that she was still on the bus. She couldn't advocate for herself at all," he explained. "It hurts me to know that my little six-year-old niece is no longer here—physically, at least. But it really hurts me to see my brother in so much pain. It really does. This doesn't have to happen."
Memphis' Kid University did not respond to a request for comment. Tennessee law requires that daycare centers such as Kid University conduct daily bus checks, as well as monitor the temperature of their buses. The Department of Children's Services confirmed that the agency was involved in the investigation proceedings.
Weather forecasters reported that the weather on the day of the tragic incident was a shocking 97 degrees.
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Experts Have Warned About the Dangers of Hot Vehicles
According to Kids and Car Safety, this is the 19th confirmed child to have been found dead as a result of being left in a hot vehicle.
Further, this is reportedly the third Tennessee child to have been found dead under these circumstances. The first child tragically passed away in April, with the second being found during the current heatwave.
Dr. Rudy Kink of Le Bonheur Children's Hospital explained the direct dangers of hot vehicles. "With the car out in the direct sun at 97 degrees, the temperature can increase exponentially over minutes to where the temperatures can become deadly... 120, 140 degrees... it takes no time, especially with the windows up," he added.
This is an utterly unimaginable situation. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragic accident.
