An investigation is underway after a bus driver picked up two students who are in the Hampton School District, but go to a school outside the district and drove around for hours before dropping them off, reportedly near the Airport.
The Hampton Township School District released a statement to KDKA Radio Tuesday afternoon and confirmed that the driver works for Monark Student Transportation Corp, a company that uses Hampton to transport some of the students in the district.
"We have learned that the bus driver picked up two students to go to their independent school but did not pick up any other students and did not take them to school, but rather to a business park," school officials said.
They say the driver suffered a "medical situation" and that he pulled over for assistance.
Hampton confirms that the same driver also picks up some Central Elementary School students.
"Monark informed the District about this situation, and we have been communicating with the transportation company to ensure that appropriate measures are taken. The District contacted Hampton Township Police Department who has been working with the Allegheny County Police Department to investigate this matter," the statement added.
Hampton officials they are will continue to talk with the bus company and families that were affected by the situation.
"This situation is a matter of great concern, and we are actively addressing it to ensure the safety and well-being of our students" said school officials. "We are reevaluating our safety procedures with all of our bus carriers and working closely with the relevant authorities and Monark to investigate the incident."
One mother expressed her concern on a Facebook message board.
She says her daughters were picked up around 6:50 a.m. and the private school they attend called at 8:30 a.m. asking where the girls were. She was reportedly told the bus was stuck due to a nearby accident.
But a half hour later, she got another call from her daughter that told her they were near the airport inside an office complex.
The mother said her daughters were upset and crying and when the driver did let them off the bus, he repeatedly apologized.
The mother said she didn't know where her children were for over two hours and the driver was not responding to radio calls from the bus company.
She adds she wants there to be accountability and GPS on the buses.
