Three Memphis daycare workers indicted after nonverbal 6-year-old dies inside hot van: prosecutors

Three Tennessee daycare employees were indicted after a 6-year-old girl died inside a hot vehicle, according to records from prosecutors and state inspectors.

Van driver Tametria Norry, 49, assistant director Sabrina Powe, 43, and daycare assistant Amilya Hardin, 21, worked at Kid University in Memphis, Tennessee.

On August 13, the girl’s father dropped 6-year-old Winter Jones off at the facility for transportation to Macon Hall Elementary School.

Winter had autism and was nonverbal, according to reports.

She remained inside the vehicle after it returned to the daycare, authorities said.

Her mother, Nakia Cloman, recalled getting a call from a worker saying, “Winter was left on the bus” and “She’s barely breathing.”

Employees found Winter unresponsive and called 911 around 3:23 p.m., according to the report.

She was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Winter had been left for hours inside the van, where her body temperature reached 109 degrees, her father said.

State inspectors said the driver and reviewers admitted they had not walked through the van to make sure every child was out.

A state inspection found missed vehicle checks, an inaccurate transportation log, and no required vehicle monitoring device, records show. Documentation of required transportation training was also unavailable for review.

Kid University permanently closed the day Winter died.

Norry, Powe, and Hardin were indicted on charges of aggravated child neglect, criminally negligent homicide, and destruction of and tampering with governmental records.

Powe and Hardin posted $50,000 bonds each and were released September 14. Norry was released September 16 on a $50,000 bond.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Their next hearing is scheduled for October 30.