A female bus driver was arrested by warrant Wednesday after a teenager accused her of forcing him to walk home 1.6 miles during a snow storm last month and another.
Police say Keyla Rivera, 36, of 37 Chapel St., New Haven, was having difficulty driving in the snow on Nov. 7 as she attempted to transport two students from their school in New Haven to their homes in Naugatuck, police said.
At one point on the ride from New Haven to Naugatuck, Rivera's bus got stuck in Seymour and the students - 14-and-15-year-old males, respectively - tried to help get the bus moving again by helping to push it, police said. A snow plow driver eventually helped lead the bus toward Naugatuck, and Rivera drove to the McDonald's parking lot in Crosspointe Plaza on New Haven Road, Route 63.
Rivera then told the students the roads were getting too slick and she could not take them all the way home as she was supposed to, police said.
The 15-year-old called his father and waited for about 90 minutes to be picked up at McDonald's, police said. The 14-year-old walked home 1.6 miles in the snow, police said.
Rivera was charged with risk of injury and reckless endangerment.
Police said the bus is owned by First Student in New Haven. WTNH, News 8, is reporting that First Student told the station Rivera has a "fine driving record" but has been place on leave pending the outcome of an investigation.
The bus drivers responsibility is to do her job and drop off the kids where they were picked up. Ok this time it was a mile or so what if next time it was 3 miles or more? If this is acceptable why not all bus drivers decide well,close enough get out! Why didn't she call dispatch? Why didn't she call the police? She definitely should LOSE her job! Might be safe for her but what if one of these kids were hurt or worse then where would you be with ,she did the right thing? Wake up, The ORIGINAL Voice Of Reason!
Furthermore, while she tried to do the right thing, by not going any further, by all means she should have called her dispatcher for advice or called Naugatuck PD for help. You cannot just throw the kids off the bus and leave. For that she should have been suspended without pay, but firing her is a bit too much. Just saying.
her with re and roi then too.
I clearly looked at as if the Bus broke Down or was say stuck on a hill would the bus driver release the bus occupants to leave the bus then? NO way! It is his or her responsibility to get these kids to their destination safely! In my opinion this was definitely a very serious flaw in her decision making skills! I came to my decision solely based on she was charged with a crime if she would have called the police or her dispatch it would have been noted and she would have not been charged. The police or her boss would have contacted the kids parents and got them home safety by alternative means .She was lucky nothing happened to these kids. The Original Voice Of Reason!
Just the thought of her just dropping the kids off and leaving makes me cringe! Even if the kids says this is OK we can walk ,the kids cannot make that decision. Kara, If she did crash 1.3 miles from the kids home would it be OK for the kids to walk home from there? If the buss has a flat or a mechanical break down ok walk home? IT IS ALL THE SAME! Seriously I find it hard to believe that you or anyone can over look the fact that those kids safety is her responsibility until they arrive back to there designated drop off or pick up. it is her JOB! If one of those kids were abducted or hit by a car I'd bet everyone would be out for her blood! Since they arrived home safely it's oh well I've walked further! There is a reason they are bused . It is either the length of the walk or their safety as in traffic sidewalks etc etc ! I live in that area go ahead walk on New Haven Road cars whip by 50/60 MPH plus we had in climate weather. There is minimal sidewalks also in that area. Not a place to be walking!
Awww.....poor little 14-15 y/o had to WALK home. I see kids that age and younger walking around down town at 9-10-11 o'clock at night. Wonder how far from home they had to walk to get there?! Put me on her Jury.....NULLIFY!
So just drop it bring her into the office and commend her on a job well done! Now next time she feels it's to slippery she pulls into Naugatuck drops off a bus load of kids says good luck get walking suckers? I wonder if it was your kid you'd feel the same? When she was in Seymour and got stuck thankfully she didn't make them walk from there! It is and was here responsibility to ensure their safety and should have called the police or her boss and ask what she should do. Obviously one kid wasn't ok with walking as he waited 90 mins for a ride. The older one mind you,maybe he was tired from pushing the bus! Yet another risk of injury. Imagine if the kid got ran over from the bus? The women does not belong behind the wheel of a school bus!
Here the parent called the police because their kid was not home and he walked up while the officer was there taking the report and people feel that the police are being harsh? Not in my eyes The Original Voice of Reason