- A 9-year-old boy fell asleep and missed his stop on a New Jersey school bus
- He woke up alone at the district's transportation yard and had to open the bus door
- A district employee found him walking in the parking lot and brought him inside
A 9-year-old boy in New Jersey ended up at a bus depot instead of his school after he fell asleep on a school bus. His mother is now seeking answers about how he was able to remain on the bus after it reached the transportation yard, reported People.com.
Wanda Chandler told WPVI that the incident happened on Thursday, August 6, when her 9-year-old son took the bus on his last day of summer school at Union Valley Elementary School in Blackwood, New Jersey.
Chandler said she received a call two and a half hours later from the Gloucester Township Public Schools (GTPS) district, which also runs the bus service. She was informed that her son had not made it to school.
She eventually found out that her son had fallen asleep on the bus and missed his stop.
The boy told the outlet that when he woke up, he found himself on an empty bus parked at the school district's transportation yard. He said he had to figure out how to open the bus doors before searching for help. He recalled that he tried to open the door, got off the bus, and looked for someone. He said he found a man and asked him where he could go back.
The boy added that he was trying to be a big boy, so he acted brave and normal.
A GTPS district employee found the 9-year-old walking through the parking lot. The employee asked him his name and age before bringing him inside. Chandler said that was how they discovered what had happened.
Chandler said Child Protective Services was notified and her son was eventually transported to school for the remainder of his last day of summer classes.
She explained that a lot of things could have happened and said she was thankful that her son was safe. She also questioned what could have happened if he had not woken up or if he had walked out into the bus depot and a stranger had taken him. She said the incident could have ended altogether differently.
