Zyiar Harris

Name: Zyiar Harris.
Died: April 10, 2022.
Age at death: 13.
Cause of death: Accident (Hit by car).
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA.

Details:
Zyiar rode the bus to and from school. In the USA, school buses are equipped with vehicle-mounted stop signs and flashing lights, and bus drivers are required to display the signs and lights whenever they stop to load or unload students, so that drivers on the road will see the signs and stop to let the children cross the road. Because he was autistic, Zyiar’s driver was supposed to let him off the bus right in front of his own home.

However, instead of stopping in front of Zyiar’s home, Zyiar’s bus driver stopped on a busy street. She did not activate the signs or the lights when she stopped to let Zyiar off, so traffic did not stop. When Zyiar got off the bus to cross the street, he was hit by a car; and instead of stopping to help, the bus driver simply drove away.

Zyiar was taken to a hospital, but his injuries proved fatal. “My son was autistic, so you didn’t care, you just let him out, in the middle of the street,” Zyiar’s mother said. “And then when he got hit, she pulled out, she saw him get hit and still pulled off.”

The bus driver has been charged with child abuse and failing to stop after being involved in an accident.

References:
School bus driver charged in death of 13-year-old boy hit by car last week in Detroit
Detroit Bus Driver Charged In 13-Year-Old Autistic Student’s Death
Final arrangements for Baby Zyair

Bryleigh Klino

Name: Bryleigh Klino.
Died: February 25, 2022.
Age at death: 17.
Cause of death: Neglect (Unspecified; death in the setting of neglect, severe bedsores).
Location: Auburn, New York, USA.

Details:
Bryleigh, who had Rett syndrome, loved the cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants and would watch it as much as she could. Many of her things were SpongeBob-themed. She also enjoyed listening to country music and traveling.

When Bryleigh died, hospital personnel noticed that she had severe, untreated bedsores and called the authorities, who arrested Bryleigh’s parents and charged them with endangering the welfare of a child.

References:
Court Records: Auburn couple charged in 17-year-old’s death neglected health concerns
Two charged after investigation into disabled Auburn teen’s death
Couple charged in connection to death of 17-year-old with disabilities
Auburn couple charged in connection with death of disabled 17-year-old daughter
Bryleigh Klino Obituary (2022) – Auburn, NY – The Citizen

Brieuc Paquet

Name: Brieuc Paquet.
Died: February 18, 2022.
Age at death: 16.
Cause of death: Homicide-suicide (Gunshot).
Location: Beaufays, Liège, Belgium.

Details:
Brieuc’s father shot him with his hunting rifle, then killed himself. Brieuc’s mother found their bodies.

Editor’s note: Like Katie McCarron’s mother, Brieuc’s father was a doctor. One wonders whether they paid attention in medical school when they were taught, “First, do no harm.” His patients seem to be fine with it, though; reportedly, they still remember him as a wonderful doctor.

References:
Drame à Beaufays : c’est l’incompréhension après qu’un père tue son fils autiste et se suicide!
L’horreur à Beaufays: un médecin abat son fils autiste de 16 ans à l’arme de chasse puis se suicide
Fabian a tué son fils avant de suicider à Beaufays: ses patients sont sous le choc – Édition digitale de Liège
Beaufays: un homme tue son fils autiste au fusil de chasse avant de retourner l’arme contre lui (Chaudfontaine)
Drama in Beaufays: it’s misunderstanding after a father kills his autistic son and commits suicide!

Thando Hani

Name: Thando Hani.
Died: A few days after September 18, 2021.
Age at death: 15.
Cause of death: Homicide (Beaten by a vigilante mob).
Location: Cape Town, South Africa.

Details:
Thando was walking home from school when he met someone who was fleeing after having stolen a cell phone. Seeing Thando, the person shoved the cell phone into Thando’s hands and ran. The people chasing the thief saw Thando with the cell phone and allegedly began beating him. Neighbors say that some of the people who beat Thando to death knew very well he was autistic and probably innocent. Thando’s father arrived just in time to keep them from setting him on fire, but Thando was already severely injured. He died a few days later in the hospital.

References:
Autistic boy laid to rest after mob attack
Teen killed after mob attack in Cape Town

Josh Hancey

Name: Josh Hancey.
Died: July 21, 2021.
Age at death: 12.
Cause of death: Negligence (Left in hot car; hyperthermia).
Location: American Fork, Utah, USA.

Details:
Josh’s family was unable to care for him, so he lived with a proctor family who had been trained in the needs of autistic children. He was enrolled in a day program that had the responsibility to transport him safely to and from the program.

Josh had left the facility and gotten lost on two occasions on the 11th and 20th of July. On the 21st, staff left him in the van in the hot parking lot for two hours, where he died of heat stroke.

References:
Day before boy’s death in hot car, staff at center told to be ‘alert’ for his safety
Developments in hot car death: Boy had autism, state investigating, center on notice
Autistic Boy Wandered From Care Facility a Day Before He Died in Hot Car: Officials
What’s next in the American Fork hot car death investigation of an 11-year-old?
Boy who died in a hot car was allowed to ‘wander off’ from care facility days before
State takes immediate action to limit license of program where Utah boy died in hot car
Family of the boy who died in hot car is devastated