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J Page A10 ♦ THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ June 21,2006 durtiamregion.com Bus driver fired after leaving students on bus Returned to work without delivering three passengers BY CRYSTAL CRIMI Staff Writer WHITBY - A Durham bus driver has been fired after leaving three special-needs students on a bus in a parking lot June 5 and returning to work. Among the students left on the Durhamway Bus Lines (DBL) vehicle was autistic woman Michelle Donaghy of Whitby, who attends G.L. Roberts CVI in Oshawa. "If this had been the weather we had the week before, the outcome could have been completely different," different," said Deborah Donaghy, Michelle s mother, who noted her daughter is non-verbal. "For these children there's a lot of trust you put into other people," she said. "You're putting their lives in their hands." Michelle Donaghy is 18 years old, but her mind has the capacity of a three-year-old, said Ms. Donaghy. For safely, Michelle Donaghy is harnessed into the bus seat to prevent her from undoing her seal-belt in, her excitement to get to school. "Of course the mother and father had the right to be upset, I'd be upset too," said Bill Ing, DBL manager. manager. Mr. Ing said Monday's driver usually works in the company's office, but has her bus driving licence and was filling in for someone else. Around 9 a.m. the 15-year employee returned to the parking lot of more than 100 buses, and around 9:45 a.m., the company received a call from a school inquiring about where the students were, said Mr. Ing. "At that point, that's when her face went white and she ran out to the parking lot," he said. "Fortunately, everyone was OK. We delivered the children right away." He added some of the windows on the bus were -open while the students were alone. . Since the incident,' DBL has had meetings and issued bulletins regarding safety. "Needless to say, we had to terminate the driver," he said. "There's no second chances for something like that. "Having to fire her was very unfortunate, I fell bad having to fire a good employee." Although there was a message from DBL on her machine at home, Ms. Donaghy is upset no one contacted her at work about the incident. She added G.L. Roberts didn't have much information about the incident and she had to be filled in when she called the company back. j "My daughter is non-verbal," said Ms. Donaghy "For the most part, I wouldn't have known anything other than what the teacher wrote in her school book, that the bus got lost." | Ms. Donaghy said the experience hasn't appearei to impact her daughter's desire to ride the bus. "She would have just been in her own little world,' said Ms. Donaghy of the incident. Walter Passarella / Metroland Durham Region Media Group Deborah Donaghy's daughter, Michelle, was left on a bus for one hour with two other special-needs students after a Durhamway Durhamway driver forgot they were on board and returned to the bus company's office. Metroland Durham Region Media Group n LIVE ENTERTAINMENT I U /J CuTHURS. June 22th - 9PM v "THIRD > STEP" V» 600 Grandview, Oshawa 905-436-1476 Your neighbourhood photographer for. over 20 years •Children •Families 'Babies 'Pets 'Groups 'Weddings Photography done in the comfort of your own home or local park Session and 8x10 portrait $49 Regular value S90, Offer expires June 30,2006, Limited to Durham Region 905-576-9526 ^iïc U11S www.magicportraits.net **<i 695 Townline Road North Courtice limes * Bools • l luncllxtcjs G Gifl Pttjislri) & more. Jewelrtj * Scarves * Bells * Gloves 1/ I III | Si. \V III I l-ll III I I Willi SMI I I V\ III HIS ill* v' 1 ',";,,, 005-69:1-0(111 ®hi œ m see « e -i 1 ' " ■ '