Child Left Stranded in School Bus

Shooting investigation Ongoing
March 13, 2020
Second Case of Presumptive Coronavirus in Local Parish. One Parish No Longer Listed
March 14, 2020
Shooting investigation Ongoing
March 13, 2020
Second Case of Presumptive Coronavirus in Local Parish. One Parish No Longer Listed
March 14, 2020

A child was left stranded for 25 minutes in a school bus parked behind a gas station in Thibodaux.

4-year-old Skylar Smith fell asleep on the school bus #175 on his way to Thibodaux Elementary, Wednesday, March 11, and when he awoke, he was alone in a parking lot at 103 E Bayou Rd, Thibodaux, said Smith. It was 25 minutes before someone found him.



“It’s been traumatizing for me. I asked my son what his next step was going to be and he said he was going to get off the bus,” said Gina Soliven, Smith’s mother.”I mean, can you imagine if he would have gotten off the bus: there’s a casino right there, there’s a truck stop right there. Anything could have happened to my kid.”

Soliven’s camera footage at home shows Smith entering the school bus at 7:57am. She said school officials told her that the bus parked at 8:21am. Cameras nearby show the arrival at 8:26am.

Her son was discovered when another bus driver pulled in to park and finished for the day. According to Soliven, the driver saw her son standing on a bus seat. This was at 8:46am according to Soliven.


Lafourche Parish Superintendent Jarod Martin was not available for comment because of an emergency Covid-19 meeting.

Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Soliven called on the morning of March 13 requesting camera footage from the nearby casino. The Lafourche Parish School District is in charge of the investigation of the claim. If the School District deems the investigation a crime, LPSO will become involved.