A Denver girl experienced perhaps every 6-year- old’s nightmare for the first day of school Wednesday: She boarded the wrong bus at the end of the day.
Police checked parks, playgrounds and other school bus stops until the little girl in a pink dress and white sandals was found about 6:45 p.m. about 2 miles from Carson Elementary School at 5420 E. First Ave. at Augustana Early Learning Center.
A day-care center bus driver did not notice the new rider until the end of the route, said police spokeswoman Vicki Ferrari.
“She was a quiet little girl and just sat and didn’t say anything,” Ferrari said.
Michael Vaughn, a spokesman for Denver Public Schools, said the bus and after-school day-care center are not affiliated with the school district.
“The child was safe and supervised the entire time,” he said of the daycare bus driver and other staff.
When day-care center staff realized the mistake, they contacted police, who returned the girl to her family.
