'It was unintentional and sad' say Couva residents

THE tragic death of three-year-old Isaiah Hazel was not intentional on the part of the woman who found him motionless in her school bus hours after picking him up from his home.

This was the consensus of residents of Perseverance Village in Couva, where the bus driver lives. Instead, the residents said they felt sorry for her and extended condolences to the bereaved relatives.

“Who are we to judge? It is tragic. I was not there but I know it was not wilfully done. It was an accident and a child died,” said one resident who requested anonymity.

Another said: “The sun was blazing yesterday. I do not know what happened. I am still trying to understand but I do not think she deliberately left the boy and went home.”

Councillor for the area Allan “Taxi” Seepersad said he too felt sorry “for both sides.”

“It is sad on both sides. No one was expecting something like that to happen. It’s a tragedy for both sides and very hurtful for relatives to lose their baby boy.”

Seepersad said he intended to meet with the bereaved family today saying he had no details of the incident apart from what the media reported.

Up to late yesterday, the bus driver was still at the San Fernando General Hospital after she reportedly had a panic attack.

Police said at about 2.30 pm on Thursday when she returned to pick up students from Morning Star Early Childhood Centre at California in Couva, children alerted her about the preschooler lying on the floor of the bus.

Attempts were made to revive him. Little Isaiah was taken to the Couva Health Facility where he was declared dead.

Earlier in the morning, the bus driver picked him up from the family’s home at Trotman Road, Mc Bean Road, in Couva, and was expected to drop him off at the school.

Unknown to her, he was still on the bus when the woman returned home.

Police from Homicide Bureau Region III are investigating.