School Bus Driver Allegedly Abandons Elementary School Students More Than 2 Miles Away From School
HIGHLAND PARK (KDKA) -- A school bus driver allegedly abandoned a group of elementary school students more than two miles away from their school Tuesday morning.
"I'm very upset, but, you know, like I said, the best thing is that my daughter had a cell phone to get in touch with me. I always stress that importance, like, keep that cell phone charged," Sundiata Rice said.
Just before 8 a.m. Tuesday, that cell phone came in handy. Rice's daughter was able to call him to tell him she and eight other students had been stranded in Homewood by their school bus driver.
The bus driver should have transported the children to Fulton Elementary School. Instead, he told them to get off the bus more than two miles away.
Fulton is in Highland Park. The driver told the students to get off the bus at North Homewood Avenue and Mount Vernon Street. That First Student driver is now facing child endangerment charges.
According to the Pittsburgh School District, before this trip, their transportation department had removed the driver from all routes in the district pending the results of an investigation related to a prior complaint.
First Student did not notify the driver until he began his route. After he was notified, he stopped the bus and told the students to get off.
"When I drove down, they were actually a block down ... they started walking, so I picked them up, my kids ... and there was another kid there too, so I said everybody just get in the car and I'll drive you all to school," Rice said.
Some of the students did walk to school. The school principal picked up some of the others, and a second bus was eventually sent to complete the route.
As to whether or not Rice will put his children on the bus again any time soon, he hasn't decided.
A call to First Student was not returned.
