Wheelchair-Bound Girl Left On MWC School Bus For Several Hours

A wheelchair-bound girl was left alone on a Mid-Del Public Schools' bus for several hours on Tuesday, police reported.

The 7-year-old girl, who is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, was taken to a local hospital after daycare workers were concerned that she was returned to them two hours early. 

The girl was picked up from her daycare about 7:55 a.m. in Del City by a Mid-Del Public Schools bus. Normally, the bus driver and monitor would take the child and other children on the bus to multiple school locations and drop them off. 

Police said all of the other children were taken to their elementary schools except for the 7-year-old. 

The bus driver and monitor took the bus back to the district's transportation lot where it was parked for several hours. The bus driver and monitor returned to the bus and realized they left the child, police said.

The child was then dropped off at her daycare. The driver and monitor did not contact the administration, the girl's parents or medical personnel.

The daycare workers noticed the girl had a soiled diaper, was tired and dehydrated. They called her mother who called the girl's elementary school and found out the girl did not go to her school. 

The girl was taken to OU Children's Hospital to be treated. 

Police have presented a child neglect case to the Oklahoma County district attorney's office. 

The district released the following statement:

"On Tuesday, a Mid-Del student was left unattended on a school bus. The bus driver and bus monitor have been suspended during the investigation of this incident. When our procedures are followed, bus drivers are to walk the length of the bus at the end of his/her route to ensure there are no bus riders remaining. In this instance, that did not happen. We are in continued communication with the student’s family, cooperating with law enforcement, and conducting our own investigation in the matter."