AR - Christopher Gardner, 5, dies in hot day care van, West Memphis, 12 June 2017

A 5-year-old Arkansas boy died Monday after he was left in a day care van all day.

The boy may have been asleep when the van arrived at the day care early Monday and never got off the van, which remained in the parking lot. The child was found dead in his booster seat hours later. Police said the temperature in the day care parking lot was 91 degrees Monday afternoon when authorities responded to the incident.

West Memphis Police said the van for Ascent child care center picked up the boy before 7 a.m. and was supposed to drop him off at the center. The day care's staff found him dead inside when they came to load children in the van to go home after 3 p.m.

The boy's mother said she signed a sheet of paper around 6:30 a.m. indicating her son was picked up and on the van. He arrived to the facility around 7:15.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/12/us/arkansas-child-death/index.html

My 💔 everytime I see one of these. I drove 15 passenger vans with disabled people. I never once left anyone behind. I always took the time to look and track everyone. It didn't take any heroic measures either. A few extra moments. We didn't at that time have any rules about doing so. To my knowledge there has never been an instance. However I have a question. It stands to reason other children were on the van. They were in booster seats too I assume. Who unlocked them but didn't see the boy or how was he missed? This I don't believe was done with malice but it's a huge f up.

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These daycare car/van deaths always infuriate me more than other accidental hot car deaths. Why these businesses don't have a check system to mark off every child they pick up when they arrive at the business is beyond me. And if these businesses don't voluntarily do a visual check AND check that every child on their pick up sheet has exited the van then the state should mandate these requirements. My mom is heavily in politics here in Arkansas and I'm going to have her talk to her friends in high places about what legislation we already have in place and what additional legislation can be passed to protect these children. It makes no sense at all when this happens at a day care - child care is their only job.


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Two questions:

1. If he was the only child picked up in the van, how was he forgotten?

2. If he was one of many, again, HOW ON EARTH WAS HE FORGOTTEN?!

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I don't understand this either. How hard is it to do a quick check of the van when you get to drop off? :no:

So sorry sweet boy...:rose:

If there was a sheet that the mother signed when her child was picked up, why was this sheet not signed or checked off when child arrived at school?

Also, if child was a regular rider, why was it not noticed he was missing and a follow up done immediately?

Don't give me the BS that he may have been asleep in the van on the ride to daycare!!

I'm a clothes retail clerk and I always check my rack before leaving to make sure nothing is in the fitting room or on the put away bar.
Now HOW can you not double check to make sure you have children out of the van when you get to the school?!!!! You gotta know it's important! Much more important than clothes! Meh!


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