A 17-year-old boy with special needs was dropped off a bus because of an expired travel card and left alone by the side of the road in temperatures above 37 degrees. The child was later found by the police, very scared and dehydrated, the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Pleven reported.
The incident dates back to August 4. The boy sought help from social services in Dolna Mitropolia, after which he boarded a bus to the village of Gorna Mitropolia. Since his travel card had expired and he had no money, the driver removed him from the vehicle.
After being left alone by the side of the road, the 17-year-old boy set off on foot in the heat. His father reported the incident to the police after losing contact with his son and not knowing where he was. He learned that the boy had been dropped off by an acquaintance of his, who witnessed what was happening.
A large-scale search operation was immediately organized. Two teams with a total of 10 police officers were involved in the operation, which began patrolling the area. The mayor of Gorna Mitropolia, Atanaska Vasileva, also took part in the operation. The search was complicated by the rugged terrain, as well as the presence of numerous rivers and dams, which posed an additional risk to the disoriented child. Yulian Passov, head of the Dolna Mitropolia Police Station, indicated that the temperatures were around 38 degrees.
After more than two hours of searching, the boy was found by the road to the village of Staroseltsi. Medical teams were immediately called to the scene, who examined him and provided him with assistance. Father Yuri Mihaylov expressed gratitude to the police for the quick response and professionalism, thanks to which his son was found unharmed. He said that the boy walked about 15 kilometers on foot without food and water.
Father Yuri told NOVA that the boy said that he was removed from the bus by the driver, although three passengers offered to pay the fare.
The bus driver Georgi Todorov explained that the card had expired, the boy did not have money and got off.
The police indicate that the actions of the driver who removed the minor from the bus were unlawful. An investigation has been launched into the case. Law enforcement agencies specify that in the absence of a regular transport document, the law provides for a sanction or the purchase of a ticket, but not for leaving a minor or a person in a helpless state on the side of the road, especially in dangerous weather conditions.
The transport company sent a position to NOVA on the case. “The child boarded a stopped bus in the center of Dolna Mitropolia. His card was checked and turned out to be expired. He did not have money for a ticket and got off at the same safe public place in the city center. The driver simply did his job completely legally. He was not abandoned on the side of the road, as the case was described by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and we insist on a correct presentation of the facts. There were other passengers on the bus and all this can be verified”, claims the executive director of “Dari Commerce” Tsvetomir Krastev.