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Thu 14 Oct, 2004 05:14 pm
4-year-old boy who took
wrong bus from school
turns up safe
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
A frantic search ended this morning when police learned 4-year-old Bryce Tucker took the wrong bus from Cy-Fair's Tipps Elementary School and ended up spending the night at a day care center.
An Amber Alert issued last night for Tucker has been cancelled.
The pre-K student had last been seen getting ready to leave Cy-Fair's Tipps Elementary School on Queenston Boulevard in northwest Harris County around 3:50 p.m.
Lt. Tim Cannon from Harris County Constable's Precinct 4 office said teachers did a head count of bus riders before letting them on the bus and the numbers added up, but they did not check off names and faces, so couldn't confirm he boarded his bus.
When he never arrived home, his parents called police and an Amber Alert was issued at 10:53 p.m. About 250 volunteers with Texas Equusearch and the Laura Recovery Center combed the area through much of the night but came up empty.
Cannon said searchers made checks at local daycare centers last night, and this morning a worker at a 24-hour center called police after realizing there was an extra child present.
His parents' relief, of course, was overwhelming.
"I'm just happy he's home,'' his tearful mother, Jodie Tucker, told reporters after an emotional reunion caught by television cameras.
School officials, meanwhile, are trying to figure how to make sure nothing like this happens again.
"We're going to go over this with a fine-toothed comb,'' said Cy-Fair ISD spokeswoman Kelli Durham.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
I find it amazing that more children don't get lost, young as many are.
A lot of children are young, yep. :-D You've almost made a Yogi-ism, there.
Nice to see a story with a happy ending. Those poor parents.
I meant young as the preKs are.
My pre-K daughter rides the bus, and I'd be devastated.
This terrifies me so much. About 6 months or more before my daughter was to start kindergarten, my husband and I began checking out our local kindergarten situation. The public kindergarten itself seemed to be acceptable as our particular district was grouping kindergarten and first grade in one school. I thought that is better so she is less likely to be in contact with some negative things you may see in the older grades of elementary school. We would drive her to school, but then found out that the school district would then bus her to another school for aftercare. I said, "No way." She is only 5. I cannot trust the school to get it right with all those children and she is too young and could easily get confused and get on a wrong bus, not be paying attention and miss the bus, etc. So we found an affordable private school where they have aftercare in the same school - no busing, all parents are required to pick up and drop off their children as it serves many towns and is very small.
This same thing happened to a co-worker's nephew. He was about the same age - Pre-K decided to get off at a stop earlier than his usual one and so ended up at the wrong facility for after school care. The dad went to pick him and no junior. He called the school. The school had no idea where he was. The dad realized that there was another facility used for after school care. He went there and luckily there was his son. No one at the school realized there was a problem, no one at his aftercare knew he was missing and no one at the facility he ended up at knew he should not be there. That to me is simply mind-boggling. Any school or childcare facility my daughter has been involved with, I have thoroughly checked out their processes. All the ones I have been involved with at least from this prospective have seemed about as fool proof as can be.
After hearing stories like these - I will not allow my young child on a school bus. The one exception is field trips and after one of these, I always call the school to ensure my daughter is safely back (or volunteer as a chaperone).
amber alert
I see so many kids in NYC going on the subway or buses to school by themselves. Some are more independent I guess.
I feel sorry for the little kids who have to take the bus to school. Walking to kindergarten with my friends was one of my great joys.
It seems like they lose so much when they're wrapped up in cotton batting.
Kindergarten was like a luxury when I was a boy. Only the select went. Most sdhools I attended I walked with my brothers or at least one friend. It beats the heck out of bus riding.
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