Matron leaves disabled man in freezing bus overnight. She was late for church.

Published on January 2nd, 2009

A severely disabled Manhattan man spent 17 terrifying hours trapped alone on a dark and frigid school bus when he was abandoned in a parking lot on one of the coldest nights of the year.

Bus matron Linda Hockaday, who has been charged with reckless endangerment,told police she left Ed Wynn Rivera sleeping in his seat “because she was late for church,” police sources said.

“She knew he was there,” the source said. “She was hoping one of the other workers would notice him.”

Rivera,who is 22 but has the mental capacity of a toddler, might have been rescued sooner, but Brooklyn cops missed him in a search of the bus depot. Cops searched the wrong lot while Rivera sat strapped helplessly in his seat in a lot hidden behind a corrugated steel fence.

He sat there all night long on New Year’s Eve as the mercury plunged to 15 degrees.

He’s lucky he didn’t die from hypothermia. Good thing his family kept pushing everyone “in charge” to keep up the search.

16 users responded in " Matron leaves disabled man in freezing bus overnight. She was late for church. "

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# 1 Personality said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 9:56 am

Didn’t the church murder the mentally challenged back in the day? She is trying to revive the heritage. Maybe she is a born-again.

# 2 Special Ed said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 10:05 am

#1 said: “Didn’t the church murder the mentally challenged back in the day? ”

They are doing that now. They just take peoples money and let them die slowly in poverty. Got to build that heli-pad!

# 3 Mister Mustard said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 10:10 am

#2 – SpEd

>>They just take peoples money and let them
>>die slowly in poverty.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiight. You should take some of your own classes, popcorn.

# 4 Improbus said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 11:06 am

She sounds like the typical hypocritical Christian. Throw the book at her.

# 5 caa said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 11:14 am

She goes to church, but does she actually listen?

# 6 Angel H. Wong said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 11:14 am

It’s good to know that Christians do have priorities.

# 7 RTaylor said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 11:35 am

Since these are personnel problems, one seldom hear the entire truth. They interview the relatives, and due to federal law over personnel issues the schools can’t comment. It could have been a communication problem, or someone just forgot. After years of reading these sensational articles, I’ve learned never to believe first reports.

# 8 hhopper said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 11:53 am

She’s just dumb like 90% of the people on the planet.

# 9 Special Ed said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 11:59 am

In an interview, Mr. Rivera responded to the question of how it felt to be abandoned on a bus in sub-freezing temperatures and he replied, “duhn uda nug mah frung ta muoy ath off.”

# 10 bobbo said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 12:10 pm

I’m confused. Was the mental retard in this case the passenger, the bus driver, or just all religious people in general?

I’ll read it again more carefully.

# 11 Special Ed said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 12:15 pm

#9 – The article seems to imply that anyone associated with religion is retarded.

# 12 TravisB828 said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 1:25 pm

I’m a big ol’ liberal atheist, but I don’t think this has to be a reflection on Christians. My guess is that she didn’t have any real training in dealing with special needs people. She probably got frustrated, lost her temper, and created a news story. If anything, the bus company is trying to provide a service without the proper staff and training.

# 13 bobbo said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 1:37 pm

#11–Big Ol Atheist==what part of: “because she was late for church,” did you miss?

# 14 Special Ed said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 3:18 pm

http://tinyurl.com/9s7pte

# 15 Mr. Fusion said, on January 2nd, 2009 at 3:42 pm

It looks like two people screwed up. Usually these buses use two people. A driver and a helper. It is the helper’s responsibility to keep the children under control and assist them getting on and off the bus.

BUT, the driver is the captain and should have checked his bus when he parked to ensure that there are no passengers still on the bus or that there is something seriously wrong with the bus.

# 16 Immanuel said, on January 3rd, 2009 at 12:11 pm

How could anyone in their right freaking mind do somethng like that? Wait, did she stop to think that the man coud have been an angel sent to test her or Christ himself? LOL Unfraking believable………..sadly she does represent the majority of people calling themselves Christians but who actions are so antithesis to the book they SAY they beieve in and the one they claim as their Lord and Saviour

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