School bus drops boy off mile from home

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Tawana Murphy tells News 4 that her 10-year-old son was dropped off at the wrong bus stop and then was told to walk alone a mile to his home.

Murphy says her son Devonier was given the wrong bus ticket at his school, PS 81, in Buffalo. Instead of being dropped off at Peace Street, he was left at the corner of Nevada Avenue and Genesee Street by a First Student bus driver. That intersection is close to a mile from Devonier's home.

Devonier says after he told bus driver it was the wrong stop, the driver told him, "tough, have a nice day," forcing Devonier off the bus. He had to cross two busy intersections, at Bailey Avenue and at Genesee Street.

The Assistant Principal at PS 81 refused an on-camera interview with News 4's Brittni Smallwood but says the school is investigating the case. They're scheduled to speak with the teacher, bus administrator and First Student Bus Depot.

Murphy says her son life was in danger and hopes this never happens again. "I don't know how the bus driver went home last night and felt comfortable with going to sleep because I couldn't sleep," Murphy said, "You left someone's child out there not knowing if he made it home, if he was kidnapped or hurt. You don't know anything and you were okay with that. As a parent I'm not okay with that for my son or anyone else's son."

A First Student spokesperson says after doing a full internal investigation they found no evidence of wrong doing. Spokesperson Maureen Richmond said the 10 year old received a yellow bus pass on September 5th to be dropped off at a different location on Genessee Street. Then on October 1st the child was meant to be sent to Doat and Peace. Then on October 3 and 10th, Richmond says he was given a pass to go to Nevada and Genesee.

Richmond says there were no troubles when the boy got off the bus. She says he told the bus driver his grandmother lived on Nevada. She says the bus monitor said it happened like that as well.