“My Daughter’s Bus Driver Nearly Killed Her On The First Day Of Kindergarten”

A 5-year-old girl is lucky to be alive after her school driver made a HUGE mistake on her first day of kindergarten.

This is every parent’s worst nightmare… and Twitter user @happycloudbooks is sharing her horrifying story:

My daughter’s bus driver nearly killed her on the first day of kindergarten so here’s a PSA for all parents of young bus riders.

This happened today.

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— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

No… she’s not being a dramatic mom. Her daughter legitimately could have died.

My daughter, who is 5 and slightly developmentally delayed was trapped alone on a bus parked at the bus depot for 3 hours in near 90 degree weather.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

The bus driver DID NOT check whatsoever when he pulled in. He just got off. She tried to get his attention but failed. She knows to stay in her seat so that’s where she stayed. FOR 3 FUCKING HOURS. ALONE. IN THE SUN.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

You hear about babies dying in hot cars all the time… this really is no different.

I’d had an off feeling since I put her on the bus this morning. It’s our first regular bus. Will she find the right seat? Be able to get off the bus okay? Will the older kids be nice to her?

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

These are concerns any mother would have on their baby’s first day of school, right?

I take her school paperwork in at 9. They don’t say she’s absent. I figure everything is fine. They’d call if something were wrong, right?

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

You’d certainly hope so.

I wake my hubby up close to 11. I miss a call from school. The school says she’s absent and they want to know if she’s okay because I didnt call her in. I freak out.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

I PUT HER ON THE BUS AT 7:30 WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S ABSENT?!

They reassure me she’s likely in class, several busses were late this morning after attendance was taken. They’re going to go check. They’ll call me right back.
I expect a call in 5 to 10 minutes.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

I think any parent would be having a heart attack at this point. She’s FIVE… it’s not like she skipped out on her own.

I. WAIT. ALMOST. 40. MINUTES. And this time it isn’t the secretary. It’s the superintendent of the bus depot. And he’s PISSED. My child. My FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD was left alone on the bus. She appears okay but I need to meet them at school. I bolt. I already had keys in my hand.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

I beat them there. I watch my child walk into the school red, dripping wet, and cradling a water bottle. I almost cry. My baby appears okay. She says she has a stomachache but is okay.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

…omg.

She is thoroughly checked over by the nurse while the principal, bus superintendent, and I sit in a conference room discussing just what the actual fuck happened.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

The bus drivers are supposed to do a seat check before leaving. He didnt. My daughter didn’t know when to get off. No other k-1st graders (kids at her school) on this bus. This should never have happened.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

There was ONE kid getting off at that school. How the EFF did the bus driver just totally neglect that? WTFFFF?!??!!!!

And then he tells me what I hadn’t even grasped yet. He had left her there, alone, in the heat, since 8:30. They found her after 11:30. I am devastated and crying on the inside. 3 hours. Alone. In almost 90 degree weather. Locked. On a bus.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

Bus driver is fired (obviously). They put steps in place to make sure my kid can ride the bus safely. The nurse tells me that, shockingly, my child is just FINE. I let her stay the rest of the day.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

They give her lots of water. The girls who found her had ice water on hand and were dousing towels with it to put on her body. They’re offering her food. She tells me she got hungry and is sorry she ate some of her lunch on the bus. I nearly cry. I reassure her it’s okay.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

BABY!!! Ugh… my heart.

I ask her about her day when she gets home and she tells me about the bus. My heart breaks when she tells me that the only time she got scared was when she got cold. She wanted me. She cried for me. I hold her extra tight tonight.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

My child should. Not be alive right now. Kids die after an hour in a hot car. My child survived 3 and only got a stomachache. My child should be dead. If I hadn’t of packed her 2 drinks in her lunch she WOULD HAVE DIED. Today we hold her close.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

…this is horrifying.

If you only retweet one thing, retweet this….

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

Remind your kids bus drivers to CHECK EVERY SEAT BEFORE LEAVING. PLEASE. My child survived 3 hours but yours might not. Please. Take the extra 2 minutes. Learn from us. We were almost a tragedy. A preventable tragedy. Please remind them.

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

So tonight I play with my girl. I remind her that if, by some miniscule chance you get left on the bus, to honk that horn until someone comes. And in the morning we figure out a new plan for school.
She’s okay. Somehow, she’s absolutely fine. Thank you, Lord!

— Coley (@happycloudbooks) August 29, 2018

Truly a miracle…

That poor, sweet little girl.

This is truly horrifying… I hope that sharing this story might help ONE person be more mindful – and possibly save a life.