When Jennifer Evans put her son, Thomas, on his school bus, she expected him to arrive safely. Thomas, who is autistic, was en route to Alt Bridge School in the United Kingdom in April but never made it off the bus. His mother claims he remained on board and a driver took him to a bus depot in Kirkby instead. Now, she’s trying to understand how this could have happened.
Evans told the BBC she does “nothing but cry” since the day a bus driver allegedly left Thomas behind. The 12-year-old reportedly remained locked on the bus for two hours before anyone noticed.
“The thought of him going out of this house now really frightens me because it just goes to show how vulnerable he is when I’m not there to protect him,” Evans said, per the news outlet. “I’m putting all my trust in these strangers and I’m so scared because you don’t really know a person, do you? And then these things happen.”
According to an investigation report obtained by the BBC, Thomas was due at school around 9:30 a.m. Instead, he remained on the bus until staff at Supreme Executive Travel found him on board at 11:45 a.m. He had reportedly sounded the horn to get someone’s attention.
“My son suffered that day. He could’ve died really,” Evans said. “I know it sounds drastic, but he could have because of his severe asthma.”
The concerned mom told the BBC her son had an asthma attack earlier this year that ended with her performing CPR while waiting for an ambulance. Additionally, Thomas has low kidney function and must use the bathroom often. Being unable to urinate for an extended period could have serious repercussions.
A representative for Alt Bridge shared a statement with the BBC regarding the incident.
“A number of issues were highlighted where processes were not followed, and these have been picked up directly with the transport provider and the school,” the statement read. “Lessons have been learned and additional preventive measures have been introduced by school.”
According to the BBC, Thomas has limited communication functions and can only repeat things. He is considered nonverbal, and the incident has allegedly caused night terrors.
“I want answers, I want the company to be held accountable for their actions,” Evans said.
“We take full responsibility for this situation and are committed to ensuring that similar incidents are avoided in the future,” Dean Dumbell, group chief executive for Supreme Executive Travel, told the BBC. “Within 24 hours of the incident, the entire organisation underwent an emergency briefing and further training to reinforce the robust protocols we already have in place.”
Dumbell told the BBC Supreme Executive Travel sent Evans a formal letter of apology, but she claimed she did not receive it. A staff member also was fired.
