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Chesterfield bus driver drops off 6-year-old at an empty, locked house

Posted at 8:48 PM, Jul 10, 2012
and last updated 2012-07-10 20:48:23-04

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, VA (WTVR)--A 6-year-old was left home alone on the first day of summer school, after a school bus dropped her off in front of her house.

Her parents were both at work and said they had submitted the paperwork to have their daughter dropped off at her daycare.

"I want to see this never ever happens again, to anybody's child. This should have never have happened in the first place" said Kelly Hughes, the mother.

Hughes said she got a call from her ex-husband about what had happened and everyone involved are thankful the next door neighbors stepped in to help the young girl.

Dennis Fletcher and Terry Wells spotted the girl when leaving for lunch, standing next to Ruther's Road.

About an hour later, they were looking for her, just in case, and spotted her almost in the exact same spot on her driveway.

Wells walked over to the young girl, who both describe as scared and tried to talk with her, but was told by Jaiden: "My parents told me not to talk to strangers.”

That didn't stop Wells from sitting down next to her while the others called Chesterfield County Schools.

The school system contacted the parents who said not only was Jaiden not dropped off at day care, but the bus driver violated policy by allowing a kindergartener to get off the bus without a parent or guardian at the stop.

Chesterfield County Schools spokesperson Shawn Smith said they are taking this situation seriously."It’s clear from all accounts that something went wrong yesterday,” he said.

"I was devastated, I don't know how you drop off a 6-year-old with no car in the driveway, no parent to be standing at the bus stop, for a 6-year-old,” said Ashley Jones, Jaiden's step-mother.