Spokeswoman: Driver, Aide Fired After Special Needs Boy, 4, Left Alone In Hot School Bus For Hours

July 20, 2011 9:35 PM

Generic school bus image. (Credit: AP)

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JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — A driver and bus aide have been fired after a 4-year-old boy was left in a hot bus for several hours Wednesday in the midst of a sweltering heat wave, according to a spokeswoman for Atlantic Express Bus Company.

Jersey City’s police chief said the special needs boy survived being left unattended in a parked school bus for more than five hours, CBS 2’s Derricke Dennis reported.

The boy was found at about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday by a bus mechanic at a bus lot on Newark Avenue and Routes 1 and 9. The parked bus had apparently not been checked by the driver and an aide who was on board.

The boy was picked up at 7:30 a.m., supposedly headed to a summer program at Jersey City’s P.S. 3 on Bright Avenue for a 7:50 a.m. arrival. Instead, the special needs boy was left on the bus until after 1 p.m., spending five hours alone in the sweltering heat.

Because of the boy’s disability, police said they haven’t been able to determine if he fell asleep, or if the driver and aide simply failed to check the bus.

The boy was taken to Christ Hospital and suffered no injuries, but Jersey City Police Chief Thomas Comey said it’s no small miracle that the child is alive.

“Everybody’s running around today doing stories about the heat,” he said. “This could have been a tragedy, but that tragedy has been averted, and this child is alive, home and running around like a normal 4-year-old.”

Police said the bus driver and aide were being questioned, and could face criminal charges of endangerment and neglect. Sources told CBS 2 that they each had at least five years on the job.

The mechanic who discovered the boy was being called a hero Wednesday afternoon after finding the boy and getting him immediate medical attention.

Spokeswoman: Driver, Aide Fired After Special Needs Boy, 4, Left Alone In Hot School Bus For Hours

Joe

If they left a dog in a car they would have been arrested. Why were these people not? Child endangerment.

ZOO

Absolutely!

wesleyapril

I have to agree – but I think overall, that certain parties, could care less about the safety of children – it is all about themselves and what they can get for themselves, and how they can make themselves number one.

Terry Miller

Your tax dollars at work. Once again government fails. Anachry is looking good.

Lou Voren

Isn’t civil service wonderful?
wesleyapril

Terry -

Feral Apes

bet my paper slippers it was a monkeys on crack…
Fed Up

Ok they say not clear if child fell asleep or if the driver and aide didn’t check. This is ridiculous. Whether he fell asllep or not they are REQUIRED to check and walk the entire bus and even if not required intelligence and common sense would tell any adult to check all seats. Let me guess i wonder what these bus drivers look like. I already know , can you guess. People do not take their responsibilities seriously and this is what causes terrible things like this to happen. I hope they throw the book at the idiots.
farquar

The aide should be arrested and jailed after being fined.
David Chuck

The best part of this was the commercial before the news. A terrorist warning. A guy leaves a bag on a bus. “Don’t assume it was left accidentally”
altheajj

Even the busses that have the signs THIS BUST HAS BBE CHECKED FOR SLEEPING CHILDREN are a joke. I have seen these signs on the bus. Unfortunately, there were children still on the bus as the driver was still doing his run. So, how could the bus have been checked?
kck

what doesn’t make sense is why didn’t the school call the parent when the child didn’t show up? They are responsible as well.

altheajj

Absolutely not the school’s job.

Phil

Of course it’s the school’s job to take attendance and call the family when a child doesn’t show up at school. Why would you think it isn’t the school’s job? Fwiw, my kids’ elementary school (public) does this…
common sense

Sorry, it is the school’s job. The parent’s SHOULD have been notified. We pay plenty of tax monies to these schools – they CAN BE held accountable.
LittleOldMe

Schools have been notifying parents of absent children for quite some time. I graduated 15 years ago; my high school teachers took attendance on Scantron forms and sent them to the office. If you missed 2nd period, the system made an automated phone call to the number on record to advise your parents you were not at school.

Considering this child was attending a special education program, I would think a phone call in the event of an absence is SOP.

Shelley Matzelt Samples

I have a special needs child and they don’t always call if I forget to call my child in sick for the day.

wesleyapril

Shelley,

I don’t think I was ever called when my son didn’t show up for school this last year – he was out for three days, and we were called to be told to call and cancel the bus if it all possible – but I was never notified that my son wasn’t in school. They have however, done that for my nt daughter that is 12.

Floyd

Note to self: Pick up Quart of Milk, Loaf of Bread, Cigarettes… oh and check for young boys and girls in bus before I leave the bus.
SONIA

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE IF I WERE THE OWNER OF THE BUS COMPANY. FIRE BOTH OF THEM WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF EVER WORKING WITH CHILDREN AGAIN,NOT TO MENTION IN A BUS COMPANY., EVER.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Marcia Reed

Not gonna happen if they are unionized. Thank you, democrats!

joe

teamsters union in fact

mike

regardless if he fell asleep or not, arent these people getting paid to do a job? and in the description of “BUS AID” doesnt that mean “AID THE DRIVER OR HELP THE DRIVER”? what is wrong with this picture, inadiquite people are being hired to look after our children! UN ACCEPTABLE..PERIOD!

altherjj

Aide Bus Aide

Ken Wetalk

$11.00 hr. in NC. (You get what u pay for.)
PAT GRIMES

Guys, I am a teacher in NYC. These buses are a joke. I have kids that get bus service and they are very late every day. When I question that, the answer is, “that’s the bus, not them!”, like this makes it ok!!! I am convinced they hire anybody to drive these buses and the matrons are obviously just as useless. AND THE CITY OF NY PAYS FOR THESE SERVICES, BIG BUCK CONTRACTS TOO!!
letsgomets2011

Nobody even checks a bus to see what kids or aids have left behind?? Incredible.
MIKE

“Because of the boy’s disability, police said they haven’t been able to determine if he fell asleep, or if the driver and aide simply failed to check the bus.”
This is what the writer wrote…why cant yahoo writers any better
this is no EXCUSE because he was disabled…IT DOESENT MATTER IF THE BOY OR GIRL WAS DIABLED OMFG!! …Tottaly Speechless!!! THEY SHOULD BRING CHARGES ON THE AID AND BUS DRIVER

al.thea

“if he fell asleep, or if the driver and aide simply failed to check the bus” This sentence does not even make sense. Obviously the driver and aide did not check the bus. Perhaps the child fell asleep. What difference does it make if the child was awake or sleeping WHEN THE DRIVER AND AIDE FAILED TO CHECK THE BUS!!

rosey

Gosh… How hard is it to walk to the back of the buss and check under the seats??? Thank God this boy made it home safe and sound.
Cara

A four year old child should be home with parents or other family for the summer. Increasingly people have disabled children and stick them in schools and programs from the time they are 2 until the time they die. These poor children are in “schools” 12 months of the year. Stop expecting everyone else to care for your special needs children.

Matt

Cara, you couldnt be more wrong. Most of these children with special needs make a lot of progess during the school year. When the take the summer off the regress and have to start all over again the following year. The programs are there for a reason.

Michael H.

Cara, what a dopey comment. My autistic son receives all of his speech, occupational, physical and other therapies at school. Before he started school, I had to take off of work and run around to multiple different locations for his therapies. Thankfully, NYC schools include his therapy with his school day, and the program he is in is an all year program. He gets a few weeks off to enjoy the summer, but since starting school, he has made remarkable progress. Research and learn before you open your trap, genius.
Liz

Matt you are right but that isn’t the story hrere. Part of the job of an attendent is to check the bus . How hard can it be to walk to the back of the bus and then to the front. Many times little children fall asleep on the bus and have to be waken to get off. That poor child must have been so frightened when he found himself alone and shut in a hot bus no less. The adults should be held accountable. They were paid to do a job and failed. Lucky the child is alive.

mommyluv

Cara, you should be a bus driver or aide. I’m sure if you’re this dumb to think that parents send their children with special needs to a summer program just for fun, you’ll get the job!
Educate yourself before posting a comment.
Speech, physical and occupational therapies are provided to them, and these are services not covered by most insurance companies, so parents send them to avoid the risk of regression.
So don’t forget and fill out an application, i’m sure you can fill one the 2 positions that just opened.

Greg

mommyluv,

What are you saying about bus drivers? I find it extremely offensive that you would suggest that bus drivers are dumb. Many of them are very hard working people trying to support families.

KLo

Cara you’re a b-tch. As a mother of a special needs child, your comments are abhorent. I’ve had to stick my son in school since he was 3 to receive therapy and rehabilitative services for him. I would gladly keep him home with me all day, but the federal government mandates that the schools provide the therapy for special needs children once they turn 3. We are only trying to help our children reach their greatest potential, not trying to find a babysitter so we can eat bon bons all day. G-d help you, please don’t procreate.

Oberon

What’s your issue with hyphens, KLo? Find another word for female dog that will be acceptable here. And, the deity is God, not G-d. Do you really think that God will be censored?
Greg

KLo,

Maybe the problem is with the federal government forcing you to send your child to school…

Oberon123

I agree with you, Cara. It looks as though I am the only person who does. If I had a special needs child, s/he would be home with me.

KLo

Hey Oberon123, if you had a special needs child, I do hope you have the money to privately pay for services, or you would be sending your child to school for services like the rest of us. Unless, that is, you could care less to see your child progress. Unfortunately, I do know people who can’t be bothered to take care of their special child’s needs.

And just so you know, I hyphenated for the sake of other readers and my own religion.

Greg

Cara,

I am glad to finally find someone who has sense. Our son stays at home with his mother. Rather than send him off for strangers to care for, my wife and I, the people who love him and care for him most, take care of him. I can’t imagine trusting somebody else to raise my son.
wesleyapril

That isn’t the issue here – my child can stay in school until he is 21 – but the more he is in school, the more it opens his mind up. We don’t have “normal” children – and if our school district does have the program and our children are able to participate then mine will. Do you have a special needs child, Cara? From your comment, I am guessing not. Maybe some compassion can be showed on us parents that do have children that are that way.

Michael B. Oliphant

I can not truly understand how again this could have happened…I wasn’t there however, myself once a school bus driver for years you could not have paid me not to check my bus when driving little folks at that age . I had experienced once when a child did fall asleep underneath a bench seat that was over the bus rear wheel well knocked out. Driving little folks you CAN NOT TAKE ANY CHANCES!!! I feel for the driver and his aide but, more so than the aide the driver should have known better – PERIOD.
TerribleWriters

How many times will an article belittle the word “hero”. Someone who happens across a boy in a bus that they are working on is a hero? Isn’t a hero more than just someone who happens across a situation and behaves in the same normal fashion anyone would?
Running into a burning bus to help someone….now that could be a hero/

Sunny

I guess this hero was looking for a place to take a nap after heavy lunch and found the boy.

MumNY

Gosh, I read this article and said that is really awful what happened and thankfully this poor little boy survived (I am not being cavalier about the incident and find it incredibly horrible that this stuff goes on all the time, no matter how many rules and regulations are set in place) and all I am reading are nasty comments about racism, welfare and the like. What the h*ll does the color of one’s skin have to do with being irresponsible ,working way below par and jeopardizing the welfare of a child? Such hate and disrespect….it is pretty sickening,
Topspin

What’s with the racist comments. What was done was wrong and it doesn’t matter what their race is. I don’t judge all white people based on one jerk chopping up a little boy in brooklyn.

racefanaz

@ Topspin the difference is this, BLACKS dont condemn each other! if a white, right wing hard core conservative breaks the law, etc. Ill be right there to arrest and prosecute him, the blacks will have protests, free mumia, he was framed by whitey, etc. THATS the difference
wesleyapril

Now no where in the article, or video – which I didn’t see – did I hear what the color of the bus driver, bus aide or child was. Why is it that most black people, while shouting racist – is the most racist?

runnergirl74

“coloreds” What on earth are you talking about?

My husband and I make nearly $500,000/year. His mom’s a school bus driver, my dad’s a plumber. We both have masters degrees, send our kids to private school and own our home. We are proud of our blue collar upbringings and our strong parents who raised us right.

You are disgusting. Take your judgments, your prejudices and please find a new country to live in. A private island with other people who ‘hate’ each other would suit you fine. You are an EMBARRASSMENT to the HUMAN race!

joe

Yes!
Melaine Cooper

Thank you for putting that so well. Stupid and lazy have no “color”.
Greg

Congratulations on your income.

Bronxgirl

You read about this stuff happening time and time again. How does it happen to overlook a child left on a bus, especially in sweltering or freezing weather? Does not the driver and/or aide check the bus from front to back before leaving the vehicle? It’s absolutely mind boggling. Luckily there have been no deaths to date; but it’s bound to happen. These organizations are going to have to tighten up their security procedures and re-educate the idiots they’ve hired to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Maybe surveillance cameras should be installed on these buses so authorities could investigate exactly how something like this could possibly happen. It’s not brain surgery – just good old common sense.
steve

Jesus, these driver-aide teams have to be the stupidest people on earth. Unfortunately, they truly will be leeching off welfare now.

mommyluv

Is true! these people are the dumbest out there! but it all comes down to the bus companies hiring stupid people to be resposible for children safety. They do what’s cheapest, and what is cheaper than hiring people from caribbean islands that know nothing and have no common sense!
In NJ 95% of school bus drivers and aides are dominican. I “myself” just had to rip my sons bus driver a new a**hole because it seems she likes to sweat for a living!!!!! not turning the ac on the bus in the middle of a heat wave!!!!!!!
Bottom line is they’re all dumb!

ProFromDover

Good. These “workers” one degree removed from the Welfare rolls don’t give a damnn about their job or responsibilities.

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Spokeswoman: Driver, Aide Fired After Special Needs Boy, 4, Left Alone In Hot School Bus For Hours

July 20, 2011 9:35 PM

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