METHUEN, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- It was a scary few hours for parents of a young boy with autism, when their little boy went unnoticed in the back of a bus and was not taken home.
Still beside herself one day later - Roxanne Vargas just can't comprehend how her 3-and-a-half year old son with special needs was left alone on a school bus, and completely forgotten about Monday afternoon.
"My kid could've died," she said. "I just can't believe it. I can't believe you see stories on news and it happens to my kid."
Her son Robby is has autism and can't speak. He is in a summer program at Marsh Grammar School in Methuen and was supposed to get home at 1:30 p.m. Monday. After about 10 minutes and no sign of Robby, Roxanne called the school, and then the bus company.
"The bus company tried to get a hold of the driver and couldn't get a hold of the driver," she said.
The driver - former city council member Phil Lahey - says he was already home with his bus parked outside when he got a call from his boss. He says it wasn't until then that he realized he had missed Robby's stop, and the little boy was still on the bus alone.
"As soon as she said his name, I didn't even have to look. I knew he was there," Lahey said.
Police say Robby had fallen asleep in the back of the bus and was left there alone with with the windows up for about 15 minutes after Lahey finished his route.
"It's totally unacceptable. The basic policies if any bus company is to ensure their bus is clear at the end of the day," said Methuen Police Captain Randy Haggar. "I'm not too sure that this was done in this case."
Lahey says he started a new route Monday and didn't know most of the children on the bus. He says the bus monitor told him there were no more kids on board before he headed home, but didn't go back to check himself. He dropped the boy off around 2:50 p.m., an hour and 20 minutes late.
"I apologized all over the place," he said. "Told her how sorry I was."
Robby's mother Roxanne took him to the hospital to be checked out, and says he's perfectly fine.
"It's something they have to take care for all the kids, not just my kid," she said.
Both Lahey and the bus monitor were fired. Robby was back on the bus Tuesday, but his mom is now requesting he only sits up front. She's meeting with the school and the bus company Wednesday afternoon to ensure this doesn't happen to Robby -- or anyone else -- again.
"I feel bad for the driver," she said. "From what I understand, [it was] a mistake. But unfortunately, it was a big mistake."
Neither the bus company nor the school had responded to requests for comment by Tuesday evening.