School bus doesn't stop at boy's usual bus stop. Other kids encourage boy to jump out of the back door. Kid=0, Darwin=1

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Officials: Driver Didn't Realize Boy Fell From Bus
Driver Says Noisy Students Kept Him From Hearing Emergency Door's Alarm

POSTED: 6:57 am EDT September 9, 2004
UPDATED: 5:26 pm EDT September 9, 2004

TOWSON, Md. -- A middle school student fell out of a school bus earlier this week -- but investigators don't know if he jumped, fell or was pushed.

Sedrick Bailey

The Baltimore Sun

Police and school officials said a bus driver apparently wasn't aware that an Old Court Middle School student had fallen out the rear emergency door of a bus on Tuesday -- because the kids on the bus were so rowdy.

The boy has been identified as Sedrick Bailey, 11, a seventh-grade student from the Windsor Mill area. He's in the critical care unit of Sinai Hospital and was listed in fair condition Thursday, WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Barry Simms reported.

School officials said the bus passed Sedrick's usual stop Tuesday afternoon because it had recently changed its scheduled stops.

"We have a number of students to interview -- a number of pieces of the puzzle to put together -- to determine to the best of our ability to figure out what happened," Baltimore County schools spokesman Charles Herndon said.

Police said after the bus passed the usual stop, another child opened the back door and encouraged the boy to jump out. The incident happened hear the student's home, and the bus kept going after student hit the ground, Simms reported.

Police are looking into whether the student jumped, fell or was pushed. The school's principal sent a letter home with parents addressing possible action should an investigation uncover foul play.

"We want to make sure that parents and student understand that the buses are not a place for unruly behavior and that the students need to conduct themselves just as they would in school," Herndon said.

The student's family refused to speak on camera, but expressed some relief.

"He hit the ground hard. I'm glad he's alive," said Barbara Bailey, the student's mother.

The driver -- identified as John Foster, 81 -- told school officials that he didn't know the boy had fallen because of the noise on the bus.

The driver returned to his driving duties Thursday, Simms reported.

"There's nothing to indicate that the driver did anything wrong," Herndon said

The school bus driver is EIGHTY ONE years old???!!!???!!!

No way would I let my kid on that bus.  The district deserves to be sued for negligence over that one.  And I'm pretty anti-lawsuit.

Here's a photo of our bright einstein: