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.
