Texas boy, 3, dies after being left in hot van following day care field trip

HOUSTON -- A 3-year-old boy in Texas died after he was left inside a day care van during a field trip.

Authorities found the child unresponsive in the van when his father arrived to pick him up from Discovering Me Academy, according to the Harris County Constable's Office.

"When EMS had him, he was just limp," eyewitness Kenneth Brooks said. "Right there, I knew the kid was gone. It's a sad day."

The driver of the van and a day care chaperone were detained for questioning.

The child was among a group of 28 children who participated in a field trip on Thursday, officials said.

Records showed the boy had been listed as accounted for following the field trip, although investigators said it appeared the child was left in the vehicle for at least four hours.

Temperatures inside the van reached at least 113 degrees, officials said.

"It seems to me this was just gross negligence," Harris County Constable Alan Rosen said. "It's just tragic."

The victim has not been named.

"I can't fathom being a father and losing a child like this," Rosen said. "Our prayers and thoughts are with this family."

The day care was cited for several violations involving its van in 2015, records show. One violation included the absence of an electronic child safety alarm, which is used to notify the driver that a child was left in the vehicle.