A Dallas family is seeking answers and accountability after their 4-year-old daughter, Araiya Pruitt, who is autistic and nonverbal, was left unattended on a school bus for nearly seven hours in sweltering heat.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety protocols of the Dallas Independent School District (DISD).
On a day when temperatures approached 100 degrees, Araiya’s parents, Robert Pruitt and Keturah Crockett, placed their trust in the school system to safely transport their daughter to school.
However, that trust was shattered when they learned that Araiya never made it to her classroom. Instead, she was left alone on the bus after the driver, assuming it was empty, parked it at the bus barn.
Araiya, who is unable to unbuckle her seatbelt without help, was likely strapped in her seat for the entire duration. The discovery of the child came later in the day when another driver went to retrieve the bus for the afternoon route.
Araiya had soiled herself and was immediately taken to the hospital for evaluation. Her parents are horrified by the thought of their daughter enduring such harsh conditions, fearing she could have died from the extreme heat.
Keturah Crockett, haunted by the ordeal, questions whether her daughter cried out in distress during those long hours.
The emotional toll on the family has been severe, and they have decided that Araiya will no longer ride the school bus, citing a complete loss of trust in the system.
The Dallas Independent School District responded with a statement expressing outrage over the incident and asserting that student safety is their highest priority. The district confirmed that a thorough investigation is underway to determine how such a grievous mistake occurred.
While the district is relieved that Araiya is safe, her parents continue to grapple with the trauma and demand concrete actions to ensure no other child suffers the same fate.
