On August 21, Omaha’s law enforcement raced to a neighborhood daycare facility following the heart-wrenching discovery of a 1-year-old, Ra’Miyah Worthington, unresponsive inside a sweltering van owned by the facility. Medics who arrived found her with a soaring temperature of around 109 degrees. Despite urgent medical attention at the Nebraska Medical Center, the young life couldn’t be saved.
Two Omaha parents are heartbroken after their 1-year-old was left in a hot car at daycare and died today. They tell @WOWT6News they want justice for their baby, Ra’miyah. pic.twitter.com/LeYPgw4juG
— Marlo Lundak WOWT (@marlolundaktv) August 22, 2023
The ill-fated morning began with 62-year-old daycare proprietor, Ryan Williams, picking up Ra’Miyah and her two siblings to take them to the Kidz of the Future Child Development Center II for the day. However, upon reaching the facility, after safely getting her two siblings out, a minor distraction caused Williams to overlook the young child, leaving her trapped in the van. The grave oversight was only realized after a tragic five hours.
In an interaction with local authorities, a remorseful Williams admitted that he typically double-checks his van to make sure all kids are safely out. But that day, amidst distractions, he sadly missed out on rechecking, resulting in Ra’Miyah never being accounted for, unlike her siblings.
BREAKING — a 1-year-old who was left in a hot van today has passed. @WOWT6News confirmed the van in question is registered to the daycare owner. #Omaha pic.twitter.com/xaX6NdTCUs
— Bella Caracta (@BellaCaracta) August 22, 2023
The aftermath of the incident saw Williams, both the vehicle’s driver and the daycare’s proprietor, taken into custody. The charges pressed against him include child neglect causing death. His initial court hearing saw a bond set at $50,000. In light of the tragedy, the daycare’s operations were promptly suspended pending a thorough inquiry.
Rianna Worthington, Ra’Miyah’s father, is tormented by the unfathomable negligence. “It’s puzzling how you can forget a child when you yourself were responsible for placing them in the van,” he stated. “When you’ve taken two kids off the van, how can one be left behind?”
Further highlighting the lapses, Worthington pointed out the daycare’s application system. The app, meant to update parents about their kids, showed Ra’Miyah was never registered in that fateful day, indicating she might have been left in the vehicle since the early hours.
In the wake of their unbearable loss, Ra’Miyah’s family initiated a GoFundMe campaign to aid them during this harrowing period. Within 72 hours, compassionate donors contributed close to $35,000. The campaign description poignantly read: “The family is forever scarred by the daycare’s oversight. Contributions, even as small as $1, are requested to assist with funeral expenses and support for Ra’Miyah’s five siblings.”
An Omaha, Nebraska family is grieving after their 1-year-old child died after being left in a hot van. Police have arrested the driver of the daycare van the 1-year-old was found in.
Read more >> https://t.co/rnwaQjIefX pic.twitter.com/mIFN4DFD1t— KTIV News Four (@ktivnews) August 22, 2023
The child’s devastated mother, Sina Johnson, alongside many supporters, staged a demonstration outside the facility. Overwhelmed by grief, she voiced her despair, “How did they forget my child when they had the responsibility to ensure all were safely inside?”
Omaha daycare employee arrested over death of baby left in hot car for hours https://t.co/SSmbVwoW01 pic.twitter.com/0tQzQuLkUF
— The Independent (@Independent) August 24, 2023
This grievous incident has sent shockwaves throughout Omaha, a community that relies on daycare centers to safeguard their precious ones. As investigations continue, the Department of Health and Human Services has joined forces with local police to guarantee that children’s well-being remains a priority.
