A harrowing case of alleged negligence has emerged from Phoenix, Arizona, where a teenage student was hospitalised with severe, life-threatening burns after being abandoned on a scorching school bus during one of the year's hottest days.
The incident involved June Shaver, a student at Bourgade Catholic High School, who was left locked inside the vehicle as temperatures inside reportedly soared to a staggering 60°C (140°F). The outside temperature in Phoenix that day reached a blistering 43°C (110°F).
A Mother's Worst Nightmare
"Her skin was just falling off her body," her distraught mother, Nicole Shaver, recounted to local news. "She had third-degree burns on over 15% of her body. The doctors said it was one of the worst cases they've seen from a non-fire incident."
The teenager was discovered hours later by her own family, not by school officials or the bus driver. She was rushed to the Arizona Burn Center in a critical condition, where she remains undergoing extensive treatment.
School and Bus Company Under Fire
The bus was operated by company 'Touchdown Transportation', which has since had its contract with the school terminated. Both the school and the bus company have launched internal investigations amidst growing public outrage.
Key failures under investigation include:
- The bus driver's alleged failure to complete a mandatory walk-through of the vehicle after completing the route.
- The school's apparent lack of protocol to account for missing students when they fail to arrive in class.
- Why the family had to locate their daughter themselves, rather than being alerted by the school.
A Broader Warning on Extreme Heat Dangers
This tragic event highlights the severe and often underestimated dangers of vehicular heatstroke. Experts confirm that on a 43°C day, the interior temperature of a closed vehicle can become lethal within just 30 minutes.
Phoenix has been enduring an unprecedented heatwave this summer, making such negligence even more catastrophic. Local authorities and child safety advocates are now using this case to push for stricter regulations and mandatory safety technology on all school buses.
The incident serves as a devastating reminder to all schools and transportation providers of their paramount duty of care towards students, particularly in regions prone to extreme weather.
