Driver charged after girl left alone on bus for nearly 2 hours, Evergreen Park police say

EVEGREEN PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- A driver is accused of leaving a child behind on a shuttle bus for nearly two hours in the southwest suburbs.

61-year-old Keitheia Adkins was charged with endangering the life of a child, according to the Evergreen Park Police Department.

The girl's family reported her missing Friday afternoon, after failing to be dropped off at an after-school program, police said.

Police said she was last seen in the 8700 block of S. Washtenaw being picked up from school by a shuttle service. During transport, the shuttle driver fell ill and drove home, leaving the child inside the vehicle alone, police said.

According to police, the driver entered her home at around 2:57 p.m. and left again at around 3:13 p.m. in another vehicle. More than an hour later, another women exited the house and opened the door of the bus. At 4:28 p.m., Adkins returned home and appeared to be looking for the girl.

At about 4:47 p.m., the Oak Lawn Police Department responded to the 800 block of S. 55th Court and found the missing girl.

She was unharmed and reunited with a parent, police said.