5-year-old boy found wandering on Long Island after being left at wrong school bus stop
EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — A school bus company is under fire after a 5-year-old student was left at the wrong bus stop in East Meadow, Long Island.
The little boy was found wandering on busy Merrick Avenue – unhurt but frightened.
School bus driver left 5-year-old at wrong stop, parent says
Rafael Mangual says his son's first day of kindergarten turned into a nightmare.
"Oh my God, there was so much panic. So many things could have gone wrong," Mangual said.
A school bus driver dropped the little boy off at the wrong stop, two miles from his after-school day care center. A good Samaritan driving on Merrick Avenue spotted the child wandering alone and called 911. Police then contacted the school and Mangual's panicked wife.
"She told me that he had been found in the street, which was just insane ... She told me that he was with the police and that the principal of the school was there as well and that I had to go pick him up," Mangual said.
The driver works for Guardian Bus Company. They told CBS News New York in a statement, "Guardian Bus is aware and want to sincerely apologize for the incident that took place in East Meadow on the first day of school. The driver was removed from the route and disciplined at a formal union hearing. Guardian has been in constant communication with the school district in regard to this matter. We have a longstanding great relationship with the community of East Meadow and will continue to strive to be the safest company on the road and build back trust."
Guardian says the driver was re-trained on proper drop-off protocol.
"My goodness, what if he tried to cross the street and gotten hit by a car?" Mangual said. "What if somebody decided to snatch him up?"
Parent calls for school bus driver to be fired
The East Meadow superintendent said in a statement, "The district is working closely with the Guardian Bus Company to ensure the incident described never happens again. We take all matters of student safety seriously. However, the district is unable to discuss personnel matters, especially since the employee in question does not work for the East Meadow School District."
The school district shared video with Mangual that shows the driver asking the child if his mother is waiting outside the bus.
"Very pro forma, most of the kids did not answer, including my son," Mangual said. "Then this woman drove off after he got off the bus without confirming that there was an adult there to pick him up."
Mangual and his wife, a high school principal, are not suing the bus company. They are asking for accountability.
"I think this should absolutely be a fire-able offense ... The other thing I would like to see are matrons on the bus, at least the buses with small kids," Mangual said.
Mangual and several hundred other parents have signed a Change.org petition asking the state to look into Guardian School Bus drivers' safety protocols.
