SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A state inspection uncovered five transportation violations at a Memphis-area daycare after 6-year-old Winter Jones died following hours inside a bus during extreme summer heat.
Winter, a Black child who was autistic and nonspeaking, was dropped off at Kid University on Aug. 13. The daycare was expected to transport her to Macon Hall Elementary School, but investigators believe she remained aboard when the vehicle returned to the center.
Staff found Winter unresponsive shortly after 3 p.m. She was transported to Baptist Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Her father, Bryan Jones, said her internal temperature reached 109 degrees as outdoor temperatures approached 97.
The Tennessee Department of Human Services conducted a fatality inspection the following morning. According to Action News 5, inspectors found that the vehicle lacked a required monitoring device and that documentation of transportation training was unavailable.
The report also found that required vehicle-inspection procedures were not completed, the driver’s transportation log was inaccurate and neither the driver nor reviewers performed a walkthrough confirming that every child had exited.
Memphis police and Tennessee child-welfare agencies are investigating. No criminal charges had been announced as of Monday.
Winter’s family remembered her as a joyful child who loved singing, dancing, swimming and playing with stuffed animals. Community members gathered Sunday for a candlelight vigil at Bert Ferguson Park.
The tragedy underscores the importance of child-accountability logs, functioning vehicle alarms and physical inspections following every trip—especially for children unable to call for assistance.