Day care where boy died in hot van faced previous safety violations
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Discovering Me Academy had several previous violations before a 3-year-old boy was found dead in a hot van, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
One of the violations from 2015 ranked as high importance indicates the day care van did not have an electronic child safety alarm.
Vehicles purchased after 2013 are required to have the safety technology, according to the DFPS website.
These alarms typically beep when a driver turns the ignition off. The driver is then supposed to walk through the bus and turn the alarm off with a button at the back of the vehicle.
It's designed to make the driver walk the entire vehicle to be sure no children are left on board.
Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said this should be a reminder to all people who drive with children in their cars.
"We implore people to obviously throw something in the back that's meaningful to you: your wallet, something, if you have a child so you remember to get that child out of the back," he said. "This is a completely avoidable thing and I know how rushed our lives are at the moment, but when you're talking about a child and a child's life, there's no price tag."
