CBS2 Exclusive: Autistic Twin Boys From Westchester County Stuck On Bus For Hours On Way Home From School
MOHEGAN LAKE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A Westchester County family is demanding answers after autistic twin boys were stuck on a bus for hours while they were on their way home from school.
Eileen Muniz told CBS2's Brian Conybeare that she was worried sick about her 12-year-old twins who were stuck on their school bus with an unfamiliar driver and aide for nearly four hours last month.
Vincent and Mars Muniz go to the Association for Metroarea Autistic Children on 17th Street in Chelsea, even though they live nearly 50 miles away in northern Westchester's Lakeland School District. It usually takes them 90 minutes to get to school.
"This school has been such a benefit," Muniz said. "The commute's never been an issue."
Vincent was panicked and crying when they finally got home to Mohegan Lake on Sept. 23.
"No parent wants to find their child curled up in a ball, pulling out his hair crying, now knowing what's going on," Muniz said.
Muniz said the twins were scared to get back on the bus after the incident, but school superintendent Dr. George Stone maintained the driver did nothing wrong that day.
"This was an unfortunate set of circumstances that was beyond the control of this driver," Stone said.
Stone said the safety of all 5,000-plus Lakeland students on 130 buses is their number one priority, but the driver got caught in terrible Manhattan traffic.
"That was the day President Obama was in the city, the U.N. was in session, and a lot of the roads were closed off," Stone said.
Muniz wants the district to assign a permanent, experienced driver and bus monitor to her boys' route, instead of rotating them.
"They've been through a lot, so they need that stability and support," she said.
After the incident, Mars did his best to console his brother.
"I felt bad for him that he was upset and I love him a lot," Mars said.
The district confirmed the boys will now have a permanent monitor, but the drivers will still rotate.