Special needs patient left alone overnight on frigid bus

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A bus driver's helper is facing criminal charges after she allegedly overlooked a 22-year-old special needs man, who spent New Year's Eve alone in a freezing bus depot, police said.

Edwin Rivera, who has cerebral palsy, was left on a bus Wednesday night, authorities said. Temperatures in New York plummeted to 15 degrees before he was found early Thursday. Rivera was taken to Brookdale University Hospital, where he was recovering Friday, according to hospital officials. When he was found, Rivera was "cold, very cold," his sister, Leslie Rivera, told CNN affiliate News 12 Long Island. "His fingers were blue." Linda Hockaday, 51, who helps the bus driver, faces charges of first- and second-degree reckless endangerment. She was arraigned Friday. Hockaday was aware Rivera was asleep on the bus, but did not inform the driver he was there, prosecutors allege in a criminal complaint. She didn't want to retrace the bus route and take Rivera home because she had to get to an appointment, the complaint said. If convicted, Hockaday could face a sentence of up to seven years. The bus driver has not been charged in the case. The bus company, Outstanding Transport Inc., refused comment.

If this woman intentionally did not inform the bus driver to save some time I think she deserves some jail time. What I don't understand is why the bus driver isn't required to check the bus when leaving it in the lot. Special needs people should probably be watched out for a little better. What do you guys think from the article, accident or intentional?

Link-sorry

[edit on 3-1-2009 by Raustin]

Saw this on the news. It is neglect. I'm sure she didn't mean for any harm to come to the boy but come on. He's more important than her appointment.

Wow, thats horrible. poor guy.

I havent heard this. Do you have a link so I can see the whole article myself?

Anyhow, as has been said, if this lady left him on purpose she does deserve jailtime. People seem to be of the mind set that handicapped people and senior citizens are somehow less than human. It disgusts me the attitude people in general seem to have about people who require help. It seems that we forget that they are humans too. We forget that they are living and breathing and feel pain just the same as everyone else. They have emotions just like you and I.

I see this type of mistreatment at my grandmothers nursing home all the time. We would take her to a better one (not there is such thing as a good nursing hime) but we dont have money to do private pay ( it can run thousands per day) and her current nursing home is all that medicaid is willing to pay for.

Anyway, if I didnt go check on her EVERYDAY she would essentially be left to die. The staff there are complete morons. They leave used needles all over the place and the confused patients often pick them up to play with them.

People who are bed ridden are supposed to be turned once an hour to prevent bed sores. The 2 weeks that I took off from visiting her she actually devoloped MRSA sepsis ( a bacterica that eats you alive and few people survive) because they dont wash their hands and they never turned her. The bacteria that was there entered through her bed sore. She was in the ICU at the hospitacl for 6 months. required 14 surgeries to remove the infected tissue. They removed most of the mussle in her abdamon (from the breast bone to the top of the labia) and some bone. She somehow lived, even though most who get it dont.

Its been so bad that the state actually called me when they did an investigation asking for any more horror stories I might have. I had plenty.

Anyway im getting off the point.

The point I was TRYING to make is. people just seem to forget that people with disabilities are still people.

please my friends. if you ever see a person with a disability, or just a person in general who needs help, HELP THEM. Remember they are human just like you.

If everyone treated everyone else the way they wanted to be treated the world would be great. But unfortunatley we dont. Please if you see some one who needs help do what you can to help them. Dont ignore them or abandon them thats just cold.

Just imagine yourself in their situation. Wouldnt you want someone to help if you needed it?


Anyway, im clearly very passionate about this. Forgive me for going on so much about it.

Like I said, could you please post a link so I can read the whole article?

Thanks my friend. Star and flag


[edit on 3-1-2009 by gimme_some_truth]

Sorry I forgot the link, it's in the OP now. I appreciate you sharing your story, I always say this but a society is judged by how they treat their weakest members. I doubt this woman intended for the boy to get hurt, but still she needs to be held accountable.

I think her punishment should be an eye for an eye.

Let's see how well she holds up under the same conditions.

Originally posted by Raustin
Sorry I forgot the link, it's in the OP now. I appreciate you sharing your story, I always say this but a society is judged by how they treat their weakest members. I doubt this woman intended for the boy to get hurt, but still she needs to be held accountable.

No problem,( No apologies needed either) and thanks for putting up with my little(LONG) rant there. I started to get off topic but it did have a point and im so glad you found it!

You are right, she does need to be held accountable. If she knew he was there she should have made sure some one else knew before she left (and thats the least she could have done)

Thanks for posting this buddy.


[edit on 3-1-2009 by gimme_some_truth]

reply to post by jam321


I tend to agree, an eye for an eye makes some sense in this situation. Except that the woman isn't mentally challenge and therefore would probably not be as frightened left freezing in the cold for a night.

Oh and anytime to the poster that said thanks!