Omaha, Nebraska – The tragic death of a 1-year-old girl, Ra’Miyah Worthington, who was inadvertently left inside a van at an Omaha childcare facility, has led to charges against 62-year-old Ryan D. Williams, the vehicle’s driver.
Upon discovering the unresponsive child, Omaha Fire Department personnel transported her to the Nebraska Medical Center, where she was subsequently pronounced dead. Reports from the Omaha World-Herald indicate that the external temperature was 96 degrees at the time, with the heat index soaring to 113 degrees. The National Weather Service recorded these temperatures at Eppley Airfield. Hospital reports reveal that the child’s body temperature had reached a critical 109 degrees upon arrival.
Ms. Sina Johnson, the mother of the deceased, expressed her grief and disbelief at a rally, questioning the oversight, “How did y’all forget my baby?”
The Omaha Police Department confirmed that the van in question belonged to the Kidz of the Future Childcare facility, where the tragic incident occurred. Attempts to reach the day care center for comments remained unanswered.
In the wake of the tragedy, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services announced an emergency order for the immediate closure of the childcare center. Emphasizing their commitment to child welfare, a department spokesperson relayed, “The protection and well-being of children is of the highest priority by the Department of Health and Human Services, and we are working with law enforcement as they investigate this tragic death.”
Statistics from the advocacy group Kids and Car Safety place this unfortunate incident as Nebraska’s first such fatality for the year, and the 19th across the U.S. The organization further revealed that Nebraska has witnessed four such fatalities since 1990. They also highlighted that “Approximately 87% of children who die in hot cars are age 3 or younger, and 56% were unknowingly left by responsible caregivers. Among these, about 12% were overlooked by childcare providers.”
