Alabama mother sues state workers after 3-year-old son dies in scorching hot car

The mother of 3-year-old Ke’Torrius “KJ” Starkes, who died after being left in a hot car driven by a state contract employee, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

Details of the incident leading to Ke’Torrius “KJ” Starkes wrongful death lawsuit

On July 22, Kela Stanford, a 54-year-old employee of Covenant Services, Inc., left Ke’Torrius “KJ” Starkes alone for five hours in her car, leading to the tragic incident.

According to the Birmingham Police Department, Stanford told detectives she “forgot” the toddler was in her car. Stanford parked her black-tinted vehicle outside her home as temperatures soared past 105 degrees. Inside, the heat may have exceeded 140 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Timeline of Tragedy

Stanford contracted with the Alabama Department of Human Resources (ADHR) to transport KJ, who was in foster care, from a supervised visit with his father back to daycare, according to reports.  Instead, Stanford allegedly made multiple personal stops including a grocery store and a tobacco shop while leaving the child inside the vehicle each time.

At approximately 12:30 p.m., Stanford returned home and entered her residence, leaving KJ strapped in the backseat. At 5:30 p.m., Stanford received a call asking why the child hadn’t been returned to daycare; she then rushed outside and discovered KJ unresponsive. Birmingham Fire and Rescue pronounced him dead at 6:03 p.m.

Ke’Torrius “KJ” Starkes wrongful death lawsuit: Legal Action and Allegations

Ethanlynn Stewart, KJ’s mother did not have custody at the time. She filed the lawsuit as the personal representative of her son’s estate. The suit names:

• Stanford
• Covenant Services, Inc., ad
• eight individuals affiliated with ADHR and the Jefferson County Department of Human Resources.

The lawsuit alleges gross negligence, failure to monitor, and inadequate trainin. It claims all defendants were responsible for KJ’s safety on the day of his death.

The lawsuit also claims that state and county employees failed to notice KJ’s absence from daycare for more than five hours. French added that no one from either department has contacted Stewart in the three weeks since her son’s death.

The civil lawsuit seeks punitive damages for KJ’s wrongful death and demands a jury trial.

Criminal Charges

Following the incident, Covenant Services terminated Stanford. On August 1, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office issued a warrant for her arrest on a felony charge of Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle. If convicted, the crime that carries a potential sentence of two to 20 years in prison. Stanford was arrested and later released on bail.