Parents Of Injured Student Sue Bus Company, Driver After Live Wire Incident

TRAFFORD (KDKA) -- A former bus driver is facing more trouble, accused of causing a Penn-Trafford Middle School student to burn his hand on a live power line.

Patricia J. Ryan, 60, was already charged with endangering the welfare of a child and reckless endangerment by Penn Township police. Now, the 11-year-old student's parents have filed a civil lawsuit against the bus company and driver.

The lawsuit stems from an incident on Apr. 15 on Route 30 near Walnut Street. A power line had reportedly fallen and the driver asked students if someone would remove it from the top of the vehicle. Officers said that Tyler Cunningham volunteered to remove the wire, and as a result, burned his hand and suffered an electric shock.

"He's my baby," said mother Dana Cunningham. "He could have been gone like that...he could have walked off that bus and died instantly."

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Tyler's injury was not serious, but his parents are angry at the driver for getting their child involved. The lawsuit seeks in excess of $90,000 in damages, but that's not all.

"I want them to redesign how they hire people," Cunningham said. "The bus company, you don't hear anything from them. They don't care how your kid's feeling, they don't care that they had this person as an employee,m that could have killed your kid."