Child left on North Carolina school bus, driver suspended
WAKE FOREST, N.C. -- A Wake County bus driver has been suspended after a 5-year-old was left alone on a school bus at Heritage High School on Aug. 21.
Debbie Hart was driving near the school on Forestville Road during rush hour traffic when she spotted the little boy crying and running down a hill toward the busy street.
"I turned around and, sure enough, he had been running, and he fell down into the ditch, and it was about two feet from the roadway," said Hart. "My heart just sank, and I was just about in tears. Can I get there in time?"
Hart turned around and raced to help the Harris Creek Elementary kindergartner.
"I just jumped out of the car and picked him up and just put him in the car where he'd be safe," said Hart. "He was trembling, and he was so scared, and he couldn't talk at all."
Hart called police who then safely returned the little boy to his parents, but it was the hour leading up to his discovery that had them in a panic.
Melvin Lincona says his son did not get off his school bus that day.
"I arrived at the school and nobody knew," said Lincona. "The school didn't know what bus he took. I didn't know what bus he took. We didn't know what to do."
Lincona later learned the bus driver parked the bus at Heritage High School following afternoon routes and got off without noticing the kindergartner.
"I said, 'How did you get off the bus,'" Lincona asked his son. "He said he pushed harder, and said he fell when he pushed the door. He fell out of the bus, and he started walking. It should have never happened. I'm very disappointed in the system, too. They have a job to do to check the bus before they leave."
Wake County Schools is now investigating the incident.
In a statement, the district said, "We take the safety of our students very seriously. This should have never happened... All transportation employees have been reminded of the protocol and the requirement to follow all responsibilities without exception."
Hart was reunited with the 5-year-old days after the terrifying experience.
"He gave me this big hug, and it was such a wonderful feeling," said Hart. "I just give all the thanks to God for putting me in the right place at the right time."
"What she did was very brave," said Lincona. "An angel for him. He could be dead."
