A school bus driver in Detroit is facing charges following the death of a 13-year-old autistic student last week.
According to a press release, 65-year-old Debra White had dropped off Zyiar Harris on Wednesday, April 6, when he was struck by an oncoming vehicle.
When police arrived at the scene, they discovered medics providing medical attention to Harris. He was transported to Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit and later died from his injuries on April 10.
Police said White allegedly did not follow protocol by alerting oncoming traffic that a child was exiting the bus. School bus drivers are responsible for activating the bus stop light and stop sign to assure that all students can safely leave the vehicle.
Harris’ mother, Casandra Jones, blamed the 65-year-old for her son’s death.
“It’s the bus driver’s fault,” Jones told WMBF.
“My son was autistic, so you didn’t care, you just let him out, in the middle of the street,” the bereaved mother said. “And then when he got hit, she pulled out, she saw him get hit and still pulled off.”
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said White was contracted through the ABC Bus Company to transport students to and from their public schools in the Detroit district. However, the 65-year-old now faces multiple charges for her actions.
Prosecutor Kym Worthy has charged White with one count of second-degree child abuse and one count of failure to stop at the scene resulting in death, the report stated. Worthy charged the former bus driver days before Harris’ death.
The case will be reviewed again when WCPO has been reported from the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Harris’ family hosted a memorial service for the late teen as friends and family members mourned the loss of their beloved friend and loved one. A GoFundMe has also been created for funeral costs, amounting to $15,000 raised in two days.
White is currently being held on a $50,000 bond. She will go before Judge Kenneth King for a probable cause conference scheduled for April 19. The preliminary examination will be held on April 26.
