Who's Held Accountable? Child, 6, Dies After Falling Off School Bus
BALTIMORE (WJZ)--WJZ is staying on top of the growing investigation into how a 6-year-old special needs student fell off a school bus and what could have been done to prevent it.
Mike Hellgren was at the private bus company that handled that route.
Jeremy Jennings' mom is demanding accountability. The company M.R. Hopkins is contracted with city schools and operated the bus that Jeremy rode. WJZ has learned there was a camera onboard that captured the incident.
Jeremy was barely 6. His mom says his smile always melted her heart.
But since his death—when he pulled open a school bus door, fell and slammed onto the pavement—what his mom demands is an explanation.
"Before my son is laid to rest, I will get some answers—the answers that I really need," said Lisa Avery, Jeremy's mother.
She admits her son was a handful and hyperactive.
Police say Jeremy fought with another student and then tried to get out the front of the bus before running to the back and opening the door while it was moving.
His mother wants to know what are the policies? Were they followed? And who is accountable?
She questions why her son wasn't in the harness he was supposed to wear and why the bus driver didn't stop.
"If you can't handle a special needs child, you don't need that job," she said.
Baltimore City schools—ultimately in charge of Jeremy's transportation— hasn't given much information. School officials did issue a new statement Monday saying that they will work with authorities.
"I know that's it's under investigation right now, and we don't know anything other than what's being reported," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. "I invite the people of Baltimore to pray for that family during this really difficult time."
A contractor for the city— M. R. Hopkins Transportation—operated the bus, but isn't saying much to us. When WJZ came to company's headquarters to ask them for its side of the story, an employee told us simply "no comment."
In addition to the suspension of two aides who were onboard, a city schools' spokeswoman says the bus driver's license has been disqualified.
"Suspended is not good enough for me at all," said Jeremy's mom. "Somebody is going to be held accountable."
Police have not released that video of what happened and say at this point the case is not a criminal investigation—but that could change.
The bus operator transports around 400 children a day and has had a contract with city schools for more than 30 years.
