Parents Worried When School Bus Leaves Howard Co. Route, Enters Carroll Co.

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A school bus containing 16 students from Glenwood Middle School started out on its regular route Tuesday, but the driver veered off course and ended up in Carroll County.

The Maryland State Police was notified 40 minutes after the school's regular dismissal time that the bus had gone off its route. Troopers found the wayward bus on Maryland Route 97 south of Westminster 14 minutes later, according to state police. Westminster is located approximately 21 miles north of Glenwood Middle, the Baltimore Sun reported.

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The preliminary investigation indicates that the driver, a 68-year-old woman, might have been experiencing a medical emergency. She was taken to the hospital by ambulance, state police said. None of the 16 students inside the bus were injured, according to state police.

The Carroll County Sheriff's Office said that when deputies responded to the school bus near Bartholow Road at 3:24 p.m., the driver appeared to be disoriented.

A parent of a student on the bus, who asked to not be identified, told Patch that his child, as well as neighboring children, were on the bus. When the middle schoolers realized they weren't heading the right way toward home, they asked the driver where she was taking them.

"According to the children, the driver repeatedly responded with words to the effect of, 'Where is home? You tell me where we're going,'" the parent stated.

Parents tracked the bus via their students' cell phones. Some of them hopped in their vehicles and followed the bus. When state police pulled it over, the parents told Patch they found eight police cars, three ambulances and other officials at the scene.

Not only were parents alarmed about the incident, they were concerned with how the situation was handled and a lack of emergency notifications.

"Parents received the first message from the school at 3:43 p.m. It stated that the bus was late, had been pulled over on Route 97 and that HCPSS Transportation and police were assisting. A second message at 4:17 p.m. attributed the delay to a 'medical event' and said a new driver was taking the students home while an assistant principal followed the bus," a parent told Patch.

Then they received a third message acknowledging parents' concerns and stated that HCPSS Director of Student Transportation Jahantab Siddiqui would meet with parents at Glenwood Middle School on Friday.

The Howard County Public School System shared copies of the emails that were sent to parents with Patch. They acknowledged that the bus would be late and officials were in contact with the district's transportation office, receiving updates.

"Currently, the bus is pulled over on Route 97, and HCPSS Transportation and police are assisting in this matter. Another driver will be transporting the students to their usual bus stops, albeit later than usual. We understand that a delayed bus can be concerning, and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we work with the HCPSS Transportation Office to ensure all of our students get home safely," the school system's email stated.

"We understand the worry and frustration this situation caused, and we appreciate your patience as we continue to seek answers," Glenwood Middle School Principal Melissa Shindel said in one of the emails sent to the impacted parents.

Due to privacy concerns, no additional information about the driver or the incident will be released, the school district confirmed with Patch.