It happened in Ewing Township.
"I was scared, because I didn't want to fall off the bus."
That was virtually all 5-year-old Jordan Rolle had to say about Monday morning's major foul-up involving his school bus driver and an aide.
Each morning this summer, Jordan gets picked up in front of his home by a mini-bus driver with an aide from the Rick Bus Company. On Monday the bus made the regular pickup, but an hour later Jordan's mother got a call from the school alerting her that he had not arrived there.
"My heart was in my stomach. I had no idea what happened," said Jordan's mother, Judy Rolle.
Within moments it was discovered that Jordan, who has some special needs, was left on the bus by their 2 employees, but was quickly noticed by a driver passing by and escorted to the safety of the company office.
"We contacted the district, brought the child upstairs to our main office, and then had the child transferred immediately back to the school," said Rick Bus Company Safety Director Marybeth Mahlmann.
Even with Jordan Rolle back home safe and sound with family and friends Monday afternoon, the bus company had no mercy on their 2 employees.
"I absolutely understand how the mother would feel. But I've spoken to her several times and assured her the child was never in any danger, the child was really never left alone. Because of the incident the driver and the bus monitor both have been terminated," said Mahlmann.
Judy Rolle says she is canceling the bus service and will be driving her son to school herself for the rest of the summer session.
