A bus driver in New Jersey was fired after a 3-year-old was left in his seat for the whole day, sitting in frigid temperatures, WBIR TV reported.
The boy's mother, Mishiloh Akturk, said she put her son on the Mercer Transportation bus around 8:00 a.m. to get to school in Franklin Park, N.J. Around 2:00 p.m., she received a call from the transportation office after officials learned he spent the entire day on the bus -- but never from the school.
"I never received a call from the school saying he didn't show up that day," Akturk said. "I got a call at about 2:00 p.m. saying he sat on the bus all day without heat or food or anything. I guess he fell asleep and was sitting in the back."
Akturk said emergency responders were called to make sure her son was OK.
"Thank God I bundled him up with layers and his hat and gloves," she said. "He sat on that bus for five-plus hours. He could have died. He could have frozen to death. The EMT was there and checked him out. He seems fine. He was happy and eating his lunch when I got there."
The manager from the bus company said the part-time driver responsible for the incident was immediately fired and added that all employees attend training sessions for similar situations.
"Not only that, but the bus is equipped with the Child Reminder System," the manager said. "When you turn off the bus, the bus gives a buzz or some noise. You have to walk to the back of the bus and open the door and close the door the stop the noise. He did not follow procedure."
He added that aside from Tuesday's incident, the bus driver was "one of the best drivers."
"He was even seen on video helping the kids off the bus. He was very good. It's unfortunate it happened that way," the manager added.
