Berkeley First-Grader Briefly Missing When He Didn't Get Off At His Bus Stop On Tuesday, Report Says

A Berkeley Township first-grader who didn't get off at his bus stop on Tuesday prompted a township-wide search before he was found, according to a report on 101.5.com.

Trent Kenny, 6, a student at the Clara B. Worth School in Bayville didn't get off at his stop with his two cousins, his grandmother Kathy Kenny said.

Kenny said the driver said that he let the boy off at Maryland and Arlington Avenues. Kathy and Trent’s father headed over to the intersection, but could not find the little boy.

They called Berkeley police and drove back to the school where Kenny said the principal, vice principal and teachers and police began looking for him.

“It’s was unbelievable how a community can come together to look for a child," Kenny said. "The school itself, the principal, vice principal, teachers were calling around the neighborhood. You saw people coming out of their homes. Cars were riding on the street. People all over were looking all over. It was amazing. The cops were here in no time at all. I didn’t even know we had that many cop cars in Bayville.”

But Kenny is upset that the school was in communication by radio with the driver and took his word that he checked for Trent.

“How do you not turn around and say ‘is anyone on this bus named Trent?’ I don’t understand what went on here.”

Trent was scared he would not ever see his family again after he got separated from his cousins, Kenny said.

Berkeley Township schools Superintendent James Roselli confirmed there was an incident involving a student on a bus on Tuesday, but did not go into any detail.

“This is concerning,” Roselli said. “I’m a father of four. My business administrator has six kids of his own. We’re all parents here and this is something we want to make sure doesn’t happen again so we’re taking all the necessary steps and taking this extremely serious. I’ve been in contact with the principal and the family. They’ve been very good throughout this process.”

Kenny said transportation officials told her the driver told them that he pulled over and checked to see if Trent was sleeping on the bus.

Trent showed up a half hour later on another bus, after the driver started his second run with students from another school, she said.

After the second school’s students were dropped off, Kenny said Trent told her the driver ignored him when he asked how much longer the ride would be.

When the bus returned to the bus lot, another woman got on the bus and asked Trent his name, Kenny said.

“She said ‘everyone’s looking for you’ and brought him back.”

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Image: Patch file photo.