Mother Files Lawsuit After 3-Year-Old Son Dies in Hot Car, Temperature Soared to 140°F

Mother Files Lawsuit After 3-Year-Old Son Dies in Hot Car, Temperature Soared to 140°F

Follow Us

An Alabama mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit after her 3-year-old son tragically died following a five-hour ordeal in what was described as a “scorching hot car” driven by a state contract worker.

Details of the Tragic Incident

Ke’Torrius “KJ” Starkes, a 3-year-old boy, died on July 22 after being left unattended in a car by Kela Stanford, a 54-year-old contract employee working for Covenant Services, Inc., which was hired by the Alabama Department of Human Resources (ADHR).

According to the Birmingham Police Department, Stanford told detectives that she forgot the child was in her car.

The boy’s mother, Ethanlynn Stewart, who did not have custody of her son, has filed a lawsuit against Stanford, the state, and county human resources workers who were allegedly responsible for KJ’s well-being that day. The lawsuit also targets the company that employed Stanford, Covenant Services, Inc.

Accusations Against Stanford and Her Employer

The lawsuit claims that Stanford was tasked with taking KJ from a supervised visit with his father and returning him to daycare. However, instead of going directly to daycare, Stanford is alleged to have gone grocery shopping, then returned home and left KJ inside her vehicle.

The complaint says that after visiting the tobacco store, Stanford again left the child unattended in her car before heading inside her home, where she stayed for the next five hours.

During this time, the heat index soared above 105°F outside, and it’s believed that the temperature inside the car reached over 140°F due to the vehicle’s black-tinted windows.

Stanford was reportedly alerted at 5:30 p.m. when KJ had not yet been returned to daycare. Rushing to her vehicle, she found KJ lifeless in the backseat, still strapped in his seatbelt.

Emergency responders were called, and KJ was pronounced dead on the scene at 6:03 p.m. The mother’s attorney, G. Courtney French, described the death as “brutal.”

The Lawsuit and Allegations of Negligence

In addition to naming Stanford and her employer in the lawsuit, Stewart’s attorney also included several individuals from the ADHR and the Jefferson County Department of Human Resources.

The lawsuit alleges that these individuals failed to realize that KJ had not been returned to daycare for over five hours, resulting in the child’s tragic death.

The lawsuit claims that if KJ had been with his parents, such an incident would not have occurred. French, Stewart’s lawyer, has stated that KJ’s death could have been avoided had there been more oversight and proper communication between the agencies involved.

Legal Action and Arrest of Stanford

Following the incident, the ADHR confirmed that Stanford was terminated from her position.

On August 1, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office issued a warrant for Stanford’s arrest on charges of Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle, a felony that could result in a prison sentence of 2 to 20 years. Stanford was arrested later that day by the Birmingham Police Department and released on bail.

Despite the legal action, French reported that no one from either the ADHR or the Jefferson County Department of Human Resources had contacted Stewart in the weeks following her son’s death.

Next Steps and Continued Legal Battle

The lawsuit is ongoing, and as Stewart seeks justice for her son, the legal process moves forward. The family’s fight highlights the devastating consequences of neglect and has drawn attention to the importance of proper care and supervision, particularly in vulnerable settings such as foster care.

As the case continues to develop, the lawsuit will determine whether those responsible for KJ’s care will be held accountable for the tragic outcome.

SOURCE

Leave a Comment