JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax has learned that a school bus driver has been fired after it was discovered they left a student alone inside the vehicle for an extended period of time.
Duval County Public Schools says the incident happened on April 22nd with a driver from Student Transportation of America.
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A source told Action News Jax that the child was special needs and was in good health, but had been left alone in a van within the STA yard for hours.
"The safe and reliable transport of our students is of the utmost importance, and we were in immediate contact with our vendor, Student Transportation of America (STA)," said DCPS on Friday.
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STA released the following statement regarding the incident:
“The safety of the children we transport is—and always will be—our top priority. On April 22, we took immediate action and terminated a driver who failed to follow our mandatory sleeping-child check procedure. This driver fell short of the standards we uphold. Acting swiftly, we have also taken steps to reinforce the importance of this critical procedure with our entire team serving Duval County Public Schools. We’re grateful to the district and our staff for responding quickly to ensure the child arrived home safely."
Action News Jax is working to learn more about exactly how long the child was left and if the driver will face any further consequences.
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