4-year-old left unattended on 100-degree school bus in Kewaskum
4-year-old left unattended on school bus in Kewaskum
An investigation is underway in the Town of Kewaskum after a 4-year-old child was left unattended on a school bus following the completion of the child’s route on Wednesday, Sept. 2.
KEWASKUM, Wis. - A 4-year-old student was left behind on a hot school bus and stranded alone for 45 minutes.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office and Kewaskum School District said the student was not hurt, but the driver risks charges.
"Of particular concern to investigators were the temperatures inside the buses. Due to the outdoor conditions and the buses being closed and unoccupied, internal temperatures inside the buses were in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit," stated the sheriff’s office.
What happened?
Timeline:
After the bus route ended, the driver parked the bus in the parking lot of the Johnson School Bus Service in Kewaskum. That was about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 2, the sheriff’s office reported.
Then at 5:47 p.m., the mother called police because her child was missing. A Kewaskum Police Department officer found the child on a bus in the bus company’s parking lot about a half-hour after that call.
The sheriff’s office also said the child was visibly hot and partially clothed. The Washington County Sheriff's Office said the child likely fell asleep during the ride.
Possible charges?
What we know:
The sheriff’s office said they are referring possible child neglect charges to the Washington County District Attorney. It will be up to the district attorney on whether to charge.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
"Investigators have found no evidence that the driver intentionally left the child on the bus or acted with the intent to harm the child," stated the sheriff’s office.
Still, the sheriff’s office is refereeing the case to prosecutors.
"Due to the child’s age, the length of time the child remained unsupervised, the extreme temperatures inside the bus, and the circumstances surrounding the driver’s failure to check the bus with the known alarm issue, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office will refer a child neglect charge to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office for review."
The sheriff’s office said the driver is a 69-year-old man and has been driving for this company for nearly five years.
Termination
What we know:
A bus company executive said the situation was upsetting.
"The driver did not do any of the safety practices requirements and implement any of their training before exiting the bus, said Kenn Jones, regional vice president of Johnson School Bus Service Jones.
FOX6 later learned that the driver is no longer with Johnson School Bus Service.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
"We have taken appropriate action against that driver," said Jones. "I would say that they can rest assured that at Johnson School Bus our highest priority is the well-being of and safety of every student that is entrusted to our care and that we will take appropriate action any time our policies and procedures or any protocols are not adhered to, and that we will also take action and, reiterate all of our practices to ensure with all of our drivers, to ensure the safety of all of our students."
What went wrong?
What we know:
"During the investigation, the driver admitted that he did not conduct a manual check of the bus after completing the route, despite the malfunctioning alarm system," the sheriff’s office stated.
The investigators learned that the driver previously reported the alarm that reminds drivers to check for children at the end of a route is malfunctioning. That alarm goes off once the engine is stopped and can only be turned off by going to the back of the bus, which is used to remind drivers to check there are no students left on the bus. The investigators said the alarm is not required equipment and that Johnson School Bus had ordered replacement parts.
FOX6 News questioned the bus company.
"We have protocols in place so that such an incident does not occur," said Jones. "And we will reiterate that to all of our drivers, and work as a company to make sure those polices and protocols are practiced on a daily basis. And there is no reoccurrence of an instance like this."
Johnson School Bus Service said they will be retraining staff to do the end-of-route inspection.
School district alerts families
What they're saying:
"We understand that an incident like this may be concerning to families. The District will continue working with Johnson Bus to ensure appropriate procedures are followed, and that student safety remains at the forefront of transportation operations," stated Kewaskum School District Administrator Mark Bazata.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Jason Calvi and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this post was provided by the Washington County Sheriff's Office.