School bus driver suspended after unknown man gets off bus at school
Posted June 8, 2022 7:00 pm.
Last Updated June 8, 2022 7:20 pm.
When the school bus was dropping off students at École Secondaire Sainte Marguerite d’Youville school Tuesday morning for class, an unknown passenger also got off.
According to Cunningham Transport, the bus driver left the bus unattended in a Save-On-Foods parking lot in St. Albert, Tuesday morning.
That’s when the man unknowingly got on the bus, searched for valuables, and then began sleeping in the very back seat. The bus driver reportedly did not realize the man was on the bus and continued on to pick up the children on the route, and wasn’t made away of the extra passenger until shortly before arriving at École Secondaire Sainte Marguerite d’Youville school.
Unknown man sleeps in school bus. (Photo Courtesy: École Secondaire Sainte Marguerite d’Youville school)
“After speaking with the driver and learning of the events on camera, we are deeply concerned and shocked by the chain of events that occurred on the morning of June 7th, 2022. We are incredibly grateful nothing more happened and there was no injury to anyone involved,” said Cunningham Transport in a statement.
They say they are continuing to investigate internally and the driver has been suspended until further notice.
“They are a trusted contractor and have been partners for a very long time so we trust they will take the steps necessary to make sure that our students are safe in their buses and that this doesn’t happen again,” said Cathy Giesbrecht, Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services with Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools.
All students arrived safely at school Tuesday morning. RCMP say they received a complaint, but no arrests have been made and say they are not actively investigating.
In a letter sent out to parents at École Secondaire Sainte Marguerite d’Youville school Tuesday, it says “Our priority is to ensure students have a safe journey to and from school. When a safety breach occurs on our bus routes, we take this very seriously and work with our bus contractors to ensure student safety.”
