US: 5-yr-old differently-abled boy left in day care van for over 8 hrs, dies

Arkansas: A differently abled five-year-old boy in the United States died after he was left inside a day care vehicle by the crèche workers for more than eight hours.

The victim had already undergone two heart surgeries and was in the day care for developmental disabilities, according to the victim’s family.

According to a report in Daily Mail, Christopher Gardner Jr was picked up by the day care van on its way to Ascent Children's Health Services in West Memphis. However, West Memphis police said that he was never taken inside the medical centre.

Gardner Jr. was found dead inside the van on Monday, strapped to his seat. The day care staff members saw him when they were preparing to drive the other day care children home.

Police could not determine the cause of Gardner’s death. However, it is said that he could have died due to the heat as temperature in Arkansas hit 90 degrees on Monday. By extension, the temperature inside the van was probably around 130 degrees.

No arrests have been made yet. Police also did not mention whether any cases would be filed in connection with the child’s death. According to the department’s records, the day care centre has received citations for minor issues but no complaints have been filed against it.