A Colorado school bus driver is addressing the situation after mistakenly dropping off numerous children at an incorrect location in frigid weather, resulting in angry parents.
Irving Johnson expressed to ABC affiliate KMGH-TV that he “could have done better” after he left 40 students on the roadside in Castle Rock on Monday, Nov. 18, while navigating what he described as an unfamiliar route.
Allegations have emerged against the substitute driver for failing to drop off students from Clear Sky Elementary School at their designated stops, reportedly leaving the children on the bus and ultimately forcing them off miles away from their homes and school.
However, Johnson is countering the assertions made by the students and parents. “I didn’t say anything to them,” he stated to KMGH-TV. “I opened the door, and they knew that this was at least close to where they were supposed to get off, and they just were getting off.”
Students and parents report that the situation started at school. A 10-year-old student, Caitlyn Zavadil, shared with KUSA that the initial issue occurred when Irving “wouldn’t let us leave the school until we stopped talking,” which resulted in them departing later than expected.
Johnson informed KMGH-TV that the children were acting out as they boarded the bus. He asserted that he informed the children, “You know, I can be as tough as I need to be to get you to behave in the bus.”
Once they hit the road, Caitlyn alleged that Irving started bypassing students’ stops. “We felt like when he was driving and missing our stops, like we were getting kidnapped,” Caitlyn expressed.
Johnson indicated that this was due to it being his initial experience navigating the route, and he “was dependent upon the tablet to be clear on where I would go.” He noted that driving at twilight made things more challenging.
The children were ultimately left at the junction of East Wolfensberger Road and Auburn Drive, as reported by KUSA. As the clock struck 5 p.m. in the local area, darkness had already enveloped the surroundings when they finally halted.
Johnson shared with KMGH-TV that he pulled over after noticing the parents by the roadside, but he was taken aback when he says all 40 students began to disembark.
“It was bizarre for me, and I think I was really stunned by it and I didn’t know what to do,” he explained. “This has never happened before. I’ve never, ever, had kids pile out of the bus and get off at a stop.”
Caitlyn reported that Johnson instructed the students to “get off my bus,” leading to the children becoming “stressed” and “crying.” A mother later took her and her sister home after picking up her own daughter at the stop.
“To have a stranger bring my children home was one of the scariest things,” Caitlyn’s mom Ashley Stark told KDVR. Johnson denied this in an Interview with KMGH-TV, saying “that’s not correct.”
According to a statement, Rich Cosgrov1e, the chief operations officer for the school district, confirmed that the Douglas County School District and Castle Rock Police Department are looking into the incident.
“I want to sincerely express my deepest apologies for the unsettling experience your children endured on Monday afternoon,” Cosgrove said. “Through our investigation, we have gained a better understanding of what occurred and feel it is important to share the details we can confirm with you.”
The school district has notified the affected families that the driver associated with the incident “is no longer employed” with them.
“Regrettably, the driver did not follow protocol when this happened,” Cosgrove said. “The driver should have immediately notified DCSD transportation dispatch.”