NY 3-year-old with CP left on bus for preschool, driver faces misdemeanor child endangerment charges

From The Observer-Dispatch in Utica, N.Y.

UTICA, N.Y. — A 3-year-old who was headed to a preschool program at Upstate Cerebral Palsy was never dropped off and instead was left alone on the bus until a mechanic found him still strapped in his seat Dec. 16.

The bus driver, Jerome Powell, 59, of Richfield Springs, and bus aid Sharon Hugg, 60, of New Hartford are now facing misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of a child, said Utica police Officer Robert Pedulla.

“The aid was distracted and forgot to let the child off at UCP,” Pedulla said.“They apparently then failed to check and make sure no children were on the bus.”

Birnie Bus Service, contracted by UCP for transportation services, said the driver and monitor have been dismissed “for violating Birnie Bus policies and procedures.”

When the bus entered the Birnie Bus facility on Dwyer Avenue Wednesday morning, the driver went straight to an inspection station instead of going through a check point at the facility, Pedulla said.

A Department of Transportation mechanic then found the child minutes after the bus driver and aid had parked the vehicle, Pedulla said.

“It was a very short amount of time that he was alone,” Pedulla said. “If the mechanic did not get on right away, the child could have been there all day.”

The child was later taken to UCP where Pedulla said nurses checked him over. Pedulla said the child, who is not being identified, was fine after the incident.

In a statement Thursday, Birnie Bus officials said they deeply regret the incident and apologize to the family.

Representatives from UCP did not return calls for comment Dec. 17.

Birnie Bus officials said they are cooperating with the police in the investigation and will review its policies and procedures with employees.

This is not the first time a young child has been left on a Birnie Bus. In January, another 3-year-old who was headed to the Whitesboro-New York Mills Head Start program was left on a bus for about a half hour before he was found safe and then taken to school.