4-year-old Newnan boy left in school bus for 2 hours; driver placed on leave
A 4-year-old boy who was left in a school bus for hours Thursday morning ended up outside the driver’s home in Newnan, authorities said.
The pre-kindergarten student at Jefferson Parkway Elementary had fallen asleep on the bus while students were dropped off, Coweta County School System spokesman Dean Jackson wrote in an emailed statement.
According to Jackson, the driver did not see the boy inside the vehicle, even after returning home and parking the bus at their residence a few miles away from the school around 7:45 a.m.
“The student remained on the bus for about two hours, it appears, and then exited the bus and began walking down the street,” Jackson said.
A construction worker contacted police after spotting the boy on Jefferson Street, near the driver’s home, school officials reported.
Officers returned the 4-year-old to the school and contacted his parents, Jackson confirmed. The boy was later reunited with his mother.
“Unless new developments arise, no criminal intent has been determined,” Newnan police Deputy Chief Mark Cooper wrote in a Facebook post. “No charges have been filed and Coweta County School System is handling the incident administratively.”
The bus driver has been placed on administrative leave while the school system investigates, Jackson said.
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About the Author
Tanni Deb, a Michigan native, is a content producer for the AJC, primarily covering breaking news, crime and public safety. After graduating from Northwestern University, she worked as a TV reporter before producing long-form feature videos on business trends across Africa.
