Boy with Autism Driven to Wrong Location After His First Day of School. 3 Hours Later, He Finally Ran into Mom’s Arms

A 13-year-old boy with autism was inadvertently taken to a wrong location by a school van after the first week of classes in New Britain, Connecticut. Somers McCray, the concerned mother of the child, revealed that her son Cortney did not arrive home at the usual time after school on Friday, August 29. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that Cortney also missed the first day of school due to not being picked up. McCray, distressed by the situation, shared her worries with a local news outlet stating, “He’s saying he’s in the car and saying he’s on his way but he’s not here.”

The concerned mother took immediate action by contacting the bus company, First Student Transportation, only to be informed that the vehicle’s GPS tracking was not functioning at that time. Taking matters into her own hands, McCray resorted to tracking Cortney via an iPhone locator and shockingly discovered that her son was situated in Danbury, an area approximately 40 miles from their home in New Britain. The school district’s transportation department eventually contacted McCray and arranged for Cortney to be picked up from a Southington 7-Eleven where they were reunited after a three-hour-long ordeal.

Following the distressing incident, McCray recounted how her son finally ran into her arms visibly exhausted and complaining of a headache. Fortunately, a new school bus company took over the transportation duties without any further mishaps. McCray later shared her harrowing experience on social media, prompting other parents to come forward with similar tales of their children arriving home excessively late, causing undue distress to families at the end of the day.

In a bid to handle the rising concerns, Michael Trujillo, the area general manager of First Student Transportation, issued an apology acknowledging the hardships and inconveniences faced by many families during the initial days of the school year. Trujillo expressed the company’s regret over the service disruptions and reassured the community of their commitment to rectifying the transportation issues. Measures such as bringing in drivers from other states, appointing a location manager, and implementing bonus schemes to attract competent personnel were announced to mitigate future occurrences.

Addressing the escalating dissatisfaction, the Consolidated School District of New Britain posted a letter from First Student Transportation on social media detailing the steps being taken to alleviate the transportation challenges. Superintendent Tony Glasper assured parents of their efforts to hold the transport provider accountable and ensure daily improvements. The superintendent also highlighted recent advancements such as real-time bus information and improved adherence to scheduled pickup times.

The continuous collaboration between the school district and the bus company aims to enhance service consistency and timeliness for the benefit of all students and their families in the region. Acknowledging the ongoing struggles faced by families, the district remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering a dependable and safe transportation service. As the community gradually witnesses progress in addressing the bus service discrepancies, both authorities and parents are optimistic about a smoother and more efficient school transport system in the days ahead.