An autistic six-year-old girl died after being left on a school bus in blistering heat in Memphis, Tennessee. Winter Jones was found unresponsive in a bus parked outside Macon-Hall Elementary School on August 13 and was declared dead at the scene.
Workers arrested over the incident
Childcare workers Sabrina Powe, 43, and Tametria Norry, 49, have been arrested and face charges of aggravated child neglect, criminally negligent homicide, and destruction of and tampering with governmental records. A third employee, Amilya Hardin, was also indicted in connection with the girl's death.
Norry has been identified as the driver of the van, while Powe was the assistant director of Kid University and Hardin works as a daycare assistant.
Investigation findings
The Tennessee Department of Human Services found that Kid University had failed to comply with multiple transportation safety requirements. Staff members allegedly failed to adhere to correct vehicle inspection protocols after children were offloaded, and the transportation record contained errors.
Authorities also confirmed that compulsory walk-throughs to ensure all children had departed the vehicle were not carried out.
Family's reaction
Winter's mother found out the news over the phone, with an employee informing her "Winter was left on the bus" and "she's barely breathing." Her father described the circumstances as an "absolute nightmare" and said it occurred due to "people who were too busy doing nothing to where they couldn't make sure Winter was taken care of properly."
