This story has been updated to reflect the correct age of the child. Memphis police previously stated that the child was 2 years old.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.– A child is dead after he was left in a hot car at a daycare Thursday afternoon, police said.
Police said a daycare worker left the 1-year-old boy in the backseat of a car at Education Is The Key Children’s Center at 975 Thomas Street in North Memphis.
Investigators said the child was left in the car from 8:30 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. as temperatures rose to the low 90s. The worker, whose relationship to the child hasn’t been released, picked up the child on their way to work and forgot the child in the car.
The child was not found until the workers went outside for aftercare. He was taken to Le Bonheur in critical condition but was later pronounced dead.
“I trust them but I don’t know what happened it’s a tragedy,” said Daniel Smith, who rushed to the scene to pick up his child. “You don’t suppose to forget no child. I can’t even explain that.”
Police say in total two people were detained including the daycare worker. Police did not specify if the other person that was detained worked at the daycare.
As the investigation unfolded on Thomas Street, we saw investigators focusing on a black Nissan before it was towed away from the scene.
With unanswered questions, many community members like Ricky Nelson are asking why weren’t protocols in place to save this young life.
“It’s a hard feeling. If it was my kid, I don’t know what I’d do,” Nelson said. “You got a job like that you supposed to take your job seriously.”
We are still working to learn if the worker will face any charges.
This is a developing story. WREG will update when more information becomes available.