Driver Who Left Blind Boy Alone on Bus Is Fired

In response to complaints from San Diego school officials and the parents of a 4-year-old blind boy who was left alone on a school bus for several hours last Thursday, the driver of the bus has been fired. But district officials said there are no plans to terminate the district’s contracts with the company he worked for.

Al Lamar, the district’s assistant director of transportation, said last week’s incident was an isolated one for Mark IV Charter Lines, which transports 600 of the district’s special-education students every day.

“I don’t believe we’re looking into canceling all their contracts,” Lamar said. “They’re still a reliable carrier. There is one driver who had a problem.”

The boy, Mathew Wilson, apparently fell asleep on a seat at the back of the bus that was taking him from his home in Clairemont to Fletcher Elementary School in Linda Vista. Lamar said the driver, whom he did not identify, reported that he had checked most of the bus before heading back to the bus yard in Spring Valley but did not go back to the last two seats.

Mathew was alone on the bus for several hours before a mechanic at the bus yard found him and drove him back to school. The boy’s parents could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Lamar said the driver was a substitute for the route’s regular driver, who was ill. After the district’s complaint, the driver was fired by Mark IV, which has five contracts worth $1.8 million to bus district students, Lamar said.

The drivers used by the district are given 40 hours of classroom instruction and 20 hours of behind-the-wheel training and must pass a test administered by the California Highway Patrol, Lamar said. He added that drivers are supposed to account for all passengers at the end of each trip.

No bus company representative was available for comment Thursday.