A 2-year-old girl was found dead
inside a daycare van about 3:30 p.m Wednesday. She had
apparently been left in the van outside the Childrens Rainbow
Learning Center at 3258 Macon Road for more than seven hours.
The child was discovered in the back of a blue minivan,
still strapped into a childs seat. Neighbors said the girl's
first name was Amber.
She had been in the van
since about 7:30 a.m. when the daycare driver started
transporting children, police said. Temperatures in Memphis
reached the low 90s Thursday afternoon.
The child was discovered by an employee of the school when
who was to transport children home in the afternoon.
Detectives were questioning a man who appeared to be the
driver.
"It appears she was left in the van all day," said police
Major Glenn Williams.
"It was very hot inside (the) van...its hard to believe it
happened several years ago and last year. You think theyd be
more careful," Williams said.
Four years ago, two children died in a similar fashion on
the same day, sparking community outrage and a wave of
investigations of Shelby County daycare centers and daycare
safety reforms in Tennessee.
Among the reforms were specific regulations to prevent
children from being left on
vans.
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