Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew C. Carey and Director Anthony Caputo of the New Brunswick Police Department announced today that a school bus driver has been charged with leaving an autistic 9-year-old boy on a school bus for four hours.
Hardy Sannoh, 60, of New Brunswick was arrested and charged on October 12th with endangering the welfare of the child, who had been abandoned on the school bus Thursday.
According to authorities, Sannoh, a school bus driver from Accurate Transportation in Piscataway, was charged during an investigation by Detective William Coleman of the New Brunswick Police Department and Detective George Stilwell of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
During the investigation, it was determined that the child was picked up by Sannoh to be taken to a Piscataway school at 7:40 a.m., but was never escorted off the bus upon arrival at the school.
At the time of the incident, Sannoh was the only bus company employee on the bus; no aides were assigned to the route.
The child remained on the bus unattended from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and was returned home by Sannoh without parental knowledge.
As is the case with all criminal defendants, the charges against Sannoh are merely accusations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.