Schoolgirl Lyssa Storey, 12, put her hand out for the bus to stop outside Lord Derby Academy in Huyton when it crashed into a van that was parked in the stop, her mum says
A schoolgirl is scared to get the bus home following an incident where a bus driver “shouted at her” after crashing into a parked van. her mum says.
On January 9, an Arriva service hit a parked van at a bus stop outside Lord Derby Academy in Huyton, Merseyside. The driver is alleged to have blamed 12-year-old Lyssa Storey, who had flagged the bus down to return home after lessons.
Mum Kirsty Holland, 42, described how her daughter, who is a year eight student at the school, is now “terrified” to get the bus home.
“Lyssa won’t get on that route home anymore and now has to go the long way, which adds a good half an hour onto her commute – it’s worrying for a parent, I want to know my 12-year-old daughter is getting home safely,” she said. “He’s totally intimidated her.”
Lyssa had finished lessons early on Friday and went to catch the 2.55pm number nine service to Liverpool from the nearby bus stop on Seel Road, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Ms Holland said there was a van and two cars parked in the bus stop, so when the service arrived Lyssa had to stand in the road to put her hand out for it to stop.
The bus is said to have arrived late at around 3.10pm, and when it showed up it crashed into a van that was parked in the bus stop. The mum says the bus driver blamed her daughter for the crash. Arriva says it is investigating the incident and the driver involved has been requested to attend a meeting.
Ms Holland said: “He shouted at her and said it was her fault. It’s terrified her, she doesn’t want to go to school because of him shouting at her. It’s made her so scared and uncomfortable.”
She added: “He is an adult man and the way he blamed her for him crashing the bus is not ok. All she did was put her hand out for a bus, she is my daughter and even I wouldn’t speak to her like that.”
A spokesperson for Arriva Merseyside said: “Arriva takes the safety and wellbeing of our customers very seriously. We are aware of the incident on the number 9 service on Friday, January 9 and the concerns raised by a customer’s family.
“The driver involved has been requested to attend a meeting and all aspects of the incident are being carefully investigated.”
