4-Year-Old Girl Found Alone on School Bus After She Was Left There for Hours in Texas Heat
4-Year-Old Girl Found Alone on School Bus After She Was Left There for Hours in Texas Heat
Paloma ChavezThu, July 30, 2026 at 8:34 PM UTC
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A stock image of a school busCredit: Getty -
A 4-year-old was left on a bus in the heat after the driver skipped a required safety check
The driver was fired and the school district is reviewing procedures and adding safety training for staff
The child’s family says she was at risk for hyperthermia and plans to speak publicly after consulting a lawyer
A school bus driver has been fired after a pre-kindergarten student was left alone on a parked bus for in the Texas heat.
Although the district has not released the student’s identity, her mom identified her as 4-year-old Jahlyrika Keys, according to local NBC affiliate KXAS-TV.
The family said that on Thursday, July 23, Jahlyrika never made it to her elementary school, located about 10 minutes from the district’s bus barn, according to KXAS. They also allege that they didn’t learn she was absent until about two hours after the school day had begun.
Instead, she remained on the bus after the morning route ended when the driver failed to complete a required post-route inspection, according to school district officials. She was eventually found alone on the bus.
“The driver involved in this incident failed to follow protocol and the student should never have been left alone,” school officials said in a statement to PEOPLE.
As a result, the 53-year-old driver was terminated.
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During the day of the incident, temperatures reached 97 degrees in the Dallas area, according to Weather Underground.
Medical records shared with KXAS by Jahlyrika’s family state she was “at risk for hyperthermia.”
School administrators called the incident unacceptable and said additional steps are being taken to prevent a similar situation from happening again. Those measures include reviewing transportation procedures, reinforcing required safety checks, and providing additional training for transportation employees.
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Jahlyrika’s family told KXAS they plan to speak publicly about the incident after talking with their lawyer.
The incident remains under investigation, school officials said.
on People
Source: “AOL Breaking”
