MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Two Milwaukee Public School students are now home safe after a substitute bus driver dropped them off at the wrong place, 20 blocks away from their normal stop.
Zatha and Amelia were dropped off at the wrong stop and did not know where they were. Their mother, Angel Kitchens, reached out to TMJ4 News after she said she did not receive answers from Milwaukee Public Schools or the bus company.
"We were on the bus, and this lady told us to get off on the wrong stop, like, and then we had to get off," Amelia said. "We did not know where we were at."
Jerry Bracey was doing yard work when the girls approached his driveway, crying.
Watch: Good Samaritan who helped girls dropped at wrong bus stop, talks with TMJ4 News
"Two girls had gotten off the bus. I noticed them getting off the bus, but I suddenly heard one of them crying," Bracey said.
Bracey said he enlisted the help of his wife and a neighbor to talk with the girls and figure out where they needed to go.
"Being that I'm a man standing there with two girls, my first thing was what can I do to have them be comfortable and bring the anxiety down," Bracey said.
"She knew her grandmother's name was Dorothy; she couldn't remember the last name, but she was able to say, 'Oh, I have it in my backpack," Bracey added.
The girls had stickers in their backpacks with their names, address and a phone number.
Bracey and his wife called the grandmother and took the girls back home.
"It could've turned out a different way, and somebody could've just grabbed them," Kitchens said.
The girls' family called Bracey and his wife their guardian angels.
"I'm humbled. I'm humbled, really, I am. I'm blessed to again just to be able to be used again, and that's all you can ask for. To be in a position to be someone that can help the next person," Bracey said.
A spokesperson for Milwaukee Public Schools confirmed the incident and sent us the following statement:
"Yesterday [Thursday], a substitute bus driver for First Student North made a mistake in taking attendance when picking students up from school. As a result, the substitute driver had the incorrect address and stop for the students. The driver took the students to the incorrect address. At that point, one of the students indicated that they saw their house across the street. The driver then allowed them to depart the bus for the day. This should not have happened. We are addressing this and taking appropriate action with First Student North bus company. They will do the same with their staff. We apologize for what occurred, and that the family was not able to reach someone at the school last night. The district is actively reviewing the potential for better after-hours transportation communication for families."
TMJ4 News asked First Student for an interview Friday. A spokesperson sent a statement confirming that a substitute driver was on the route, but said the students exited at an incorrect location.
"Thank you the people whoever saved me and my sister," Zatha said.
"Thank you for dropping us off at the right spot," Amelia echoed.
When shown a video of the girls' gratitude, Bracey was moved.
"That's amazing. That's amazing," Bracey said.
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