Mother from Richton Park Shares Story After Preschooler is Left Alone on School Bus from Matteson School District 162 for Several Hours; Driver is Terminated

A parent in Richton Park, Illinois, is seeking answers after her preschooler was left alone on a school bus for several hours. The incident came to light when the parent, in an exclusive interview with ABC7, shared her concerns.

The parent’s 3-year-old daughter, Aziyah, has since been reunited with her family in Richton Park. However, there are lingering questions about how the bus driver from Matteson School District 162 failed to realize that the child had not disembarked the bus during the morning drop-off.

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The bus driver now no longer works for the school district, District 162 officials told ABC7 in a statement.

The child was apparently left on a bus for two or three hours. It wasn’t until the school realized she wasn’t in class that the search for her began.

Aziyah was safe and warm with her family Friday night after being left on a school bus in a snowy depot, cold, alone, and scared.

“She was just saying, ‘Mommy, I was left on the bus. I was left on the bus,'” Aziyah’s mother, Talia Anderson, said.

The events unfolded when Aziyah was picked up by the bus around midday to attend preschool at Richton Square Elementary. It was only hours later that the school contacted the parent, inquiring about Aziyah’s absence.

“I was just, was she okay? Was she alive at this point? I just needed to know,” Anderson said.

Later, the superintendent called back, saying Aziyah had apparently fallen asleep on the way to preschool and found on her bus at a depot in Country Club Hills.

“I’m frustrated, because how can you really leave a 3-year-old on the bus, and I’m giving you to her in your care?” Anderson said.

Matteson School District 162 told ABC7 Aziyah, “was not delivered to the school,” and instead was, “unknowingly transported back to the bus depot. The bus driver involved in this matter will no longer provide services for District 162 because safety policies and procedures were not followed.”

“She’s just been really thirsty ever since the situation, so I’ve just been giving her water, giving her apple juice, and trying to keep her hydrated,” Anderson said.

The family says Aziyah plans to return to school on Monday, but they’ll be driving her there themselves from now on.