A required safety check that could have revealed a 6-year-old girl was still inside a daycare van was not carried out on the morning she died in Cordova, Tennessee, according to state investigation records.
Winter Jones, a nonverbal 6-year-old girl with autism, was left inside a daycare vehicle for nearly six hours on Aug. 13 after she was supposed to be taken from Kid University to Macon Hall Elementary School.
The driver, 49-year-old Tametria Norry, later told Tennessee state inspectors that she did not complete the required walk-through of the van because she was hot, according to records from the Tennessee Department of Human Services.
Investigators said Norry had signed Winter onto Van 33 at about 8:35 a.m. and later recorded that the child had been dropped off at school around 8:50 a.m. Winter, however, never left the vehicle.
The van returned to Kid University in Cordova, where it remained parked as temperatures climbed into the upper 90s. National Weather Service data cited in local reporting showed the heat index reached about 103 degrees that day.
Winter was eventually found inside the vehicle at about 2:30 p.m. Emergency responders discovered her in cardiac arrest. She was taken to Baptist Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 3:12 p.m.
Three daycare workers face charges
The investigation has led to criminal charges against three employees of Kid University.
Norry, daycare assistant director Sabrina Powe, 43, and daycare assistant Amilya Hardin, 21, were indicted on charges including aggravated child neglect, criminally negligent homicide and tampering with or fabricating government records.
All three pleaded not guilty during court appearances in September.
Powe and Hardin were released after posting $50,000 bonds. Norry was also released on a $50,000 bond after initially remaining in custody. Their next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 30.
The charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
State investigation found multiple safety failures
The case did not center only on the missed walk-through.
A TDHS investigation found several violations involving Kid University’s transportation procedures. Inspectors said required vehicle inspections were not completed after children were unloaded, the transportation log was inaccurate, and staff did not perform the required walk-through to make sure every child had exited the vehicle.
The investigation also found that the van did not have a required vehicle monitoring device. Records showed the facility could not provide documentation that transportation staff had completed required training.
Hardin and Powe also told investigators they did not check the vehicle after it returned to the daycare, even though both had signed documentation indicating that a physical walk-through had been completed.
Investigators further reported that no daycare employees told them they had administered CPR or first aid after Winter was discovered.
Following the investigation, Norry was placed under an emergency statewide safety plan that prevents her from working at or visiting any licensed childcare agency in Tennessee.
Kid University permanently closed
Kid University did not remain open after Winter’s death.
The Cordova childcare center surrendered its license and permanently closed in August following the fatal incident. State officials had conducted a fatality inspection at the facility to examine its transportation and safety procedures.
The closure came as investigators examined how Winter could have remained in the van for hours without being discovered.
For Winter’s family, the case has also moved beyond the criminal proceedings. A family attorney has said civil litigation is being pursued as relatives continue to seek answers about what happened and how the safety procedures failed.
The criminal case is now moving forward after the September pleas. The Oct. 30 court hearing is expected to be the next major scheduled step as the proceedings continue.
