TOLEDO, Ohio — A man’s body, parked in a vehicle at a Toledo elementary school drop-off line, went unnoticed for at least six hours, his family said.
According to WTOL, Dale Garrett walked his girlfriend’s grandson into Longfellow Elementary School and then returned to his vehicle parked in the area for drop-offs on Sept. 19.
He never drove away, according to his daughter, Anmarie Aldape.
His body was later discovered in his truck roughly seven hours later around 3 p.m., still parked in the drop-off area.
“It wasn’t until about 3 p.m. that a friend had seen him in the line waiting to pick up the kids and went over to the vehicle to talk like they usually do. And when he opened the door, my father was passed away,” Aldape told WTOL.
The school contacted emergency medical services but was unable to revive Garrett.
Video captured Garrett walking in and out of the school at around 8:30 a.m., but the station said his parking spot was not caught in view of the security cameras.
Aldape questioned the school’s security, which doesn’t have a resource officer or a guard, in an interview with WTOL.
“Things that happen in schools now are crazy and scary! And for the same vehicle to be parked there for seven hours and no one notice it, no one check on it, no one even be concerned — who knows what could have gone on back there!” Aldape said.
Toledo Public Schools released a statement to WTOL following the incident:
“The unfortunate situation that occurred at Longfellow Elementary two weeks ago involving a family member of a student was handled properly and appropriately by the school’s staff. When the victim was found unresponsive in his vehicle, which was located in the turnaround behind the school, EMS was called; unfortunately, their life-saving efforts could not revive the victim.”
Aldape told WTOL that she doesn’t blame anyone for his death but was more concerned that her father’s car went unnoticed all day.
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