Police Say West Nyack Man Left Child Sleeping on School Bus

After state police got a tip from a child abuse hotline, they arrested a school bus driver whom they say had overlooked a sleeping child yet filed daily paperwork affirming he had checked the bus after his morning run.

The 9-year-old, a Hempstead Elementary School pupil, was on the bus unattended for about 40 minutes on Feb. 10, state police allege.

Matthew P. Murphy, 50, of West Nyack, has been charged with the Class A Misdemeanors of Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Falsifying Business Records.

The Endangering the Welfare of a Child charge relates to Murphy failing to conduct a “sweep” of his school bus upon completion of his morning bus run, police said. The Falsifying Business Records 2nd degree charge relates to the driver daily report paperwork filled out by Murphy in which he indicated that he did check the entire bus before leaving after the morning bus run.

The tip was a Law Enforcement Referral from the New York State Department of Social Services Child Abuse Hotline.

Murphy is due in Ramapo Town Court March 3.