Homeless man arrested after getting on Bensalem school bus with students
Bensalem school officials are remaining tight-lipped about how a 40-year-old homeless man managed to get on a school bus picking up high school students Friday morning and riding for several miles before police were notified.
Elliott Smith Jr., who turns 41 on Friday, allegedly walked onto the bus with four students around 6:30 a.m. at the intersection of Hillside Avenue and Bristol Road.
Smith sat alone in the second row of the bus while the bus traveled 2.5 miles to Brownsville Road and Weldon Avenue, according to a probable cause affidavit. He did not interact with students on the bus.
At around 6:45 a.m. Bucks County Dispatch got a call about a strange man wearing a hoodie, medical mask, and carrying a backpack and plastic trash bag was on the school bus headed for Bensalem High School.
Police intercepted the school bus about four miles away at Mechanicsville and Galloway roads and took Smith into custody. He was arraigned on a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized school bus entry. He is incarcerated in Bucks County Corrections Center in lieu of 10% of $25,000 bail. Smith did not have a defense attorney listed on Monday.
Smith allegedly told officers that he was aware he was aboard a school bus. Authorities said he had an active bench warrant from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office for resisting arrest.
Police interviewed the school bus driver who claimed Smith got onto the bus at his first stop, which usually has four students. The driver also told police it was dark and foggy out and he didn’t realize that Smith was not a student.
Bensalem Superintendent Samuel Lee did not respond to an email with questions about the incident.
The district posted a statement about what happened on its website Friday and said that as an active investigation district cannot comment any further at this time.
“At no time was there any interaction between the students and the subject. Communication with the BHS Community and direct communication with the families of the students on the bus continues as part of this investigation,” the statement said. “As always, our number one priority is to make sure our students and staff are safe.”
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This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: How did a homeless man board a Bensalem school bus undetected?
