4-year-old boy left on bus for 5 hours

PATERSON, N.J. (WABC) -- A school bus driver and an aide have been fired after a 4-year-old boy was left on his preschool bus for 5 hours.

He was alone and abandoned with a temperature and his pants soaked.

"I counted the seats on the bus," said 4-year-old Barry Gamble.

Barry says he counted the seats on his school bus.

34 seats, he counted, while he sat inside of the bus, alone for 5 hours last week.

He was left onboard, outside the "Concerned Parents for Headstart" where he attended preschool.

"I was shocked," said Yakema Thomas, Barry's mother.

"They take attendance when they get on, they didn't miss him in class," said Barry Gamble, Sr., Barry's father.

Barry was alone on the bus from just after 8 a.m. Friday, until he was discovered by the driver in the afternoon.

His parents say they weren't notified until more than two hours later.

"When I got to the school, he had different clothes on, they didn't tell me right away what happened," Gamble said.

The Division of Youth and Family Services is investigating.

They checked up on Barry and so did his doctor.

Other than a slight fever, he's healthy and happy though fear of the ordeal lingers.

"He doesn't want to get on buses anymore," Thomas said.

A school employee said no one would comment, though published reports say the bus driver and an aide were fired.

One parent leaving the school says she's pleased with program.

"It's a wonderful school, I have no problems, my son goes here," said Eman Jabra, a parent.

The family's not yet satisfied that everything that should be done, is being done, they are grateful Barry is okay.

"This could have ended up 100 different ways, but we're glad he's okay," Gamble said.

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