Police investigate after school bus found stolen and abandoned near Beaufort school
Officers from the Beaufort Police Department are investigating after a stolen Beaufort County school bus was found parked at a school in Beaufort, department spokesperson George Erdel said — and the alleged bus thief, while still unknown, bears a resemblance to a Beaufort High School student.
In security camera footage from the bus, the driver can be heard on the phone talking about getting marijuana and seemingly talking someone through a mental health crisis. At one point, he says he’s “risking his freedom” for the person on the other end of the line.
A Beaufort County School District bus driver reported the bus missing when he showed up for work the morning of March 8. The bus was found at Lowcountry Montessori School in Port Royal that afternoon and didn’t have any obvious damage, according to a police report of the incident.
Police officers and Beaufort High School Principal Charity Summers reviewed security footage from a camera installed on the bus that showed “an unknown person,” presumed to be male, driving it off of the Beaufort High campus around 10 p.m. March 7.
In 25 video clips that span 45 minutes, the driver can be seen and heard talking to someone on the phone and seemingly hitting something with the back of the bus while turning on Lady’s Island Drive, according to the police report.
On the phone, the driver is talking to someone who says they “want to die.” The driver offers to bring the other caller “weed” or “something else,” telling them to “leave pills alone.” The driver can be heard yelling “NO NO STOP!” before the call ends.
In a second phone call, the driver says “he’s on a school bus coming to [expletive] save you” and screams “I’m sorry, I don’t want you to die, I don’t want you to kill yourself... I’m risking my freedom,” according to the report. He adds that he’s going to someone’s house “near the school” to get marijuana.
Around 35 minutes into the footage, the driver sets off an alarm on the bus and says that his ride is coming. He stares at the bus security camera and activates the alarm a second time before turning off the bus and climbing out of the first passenger window.
The police report was released to The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette on Monday. On Friday, Beaufort County School District spokesperson Candace Bruder declined to say when the bus had been taken, citing the district’s policy not to comment on active police investigations. No injuries or property damage were reported in this incident and no other individuals have access to school bus keys, she said.
Bruder declined to say what security measures are in place to ensure that no one else can access school bus keys for “safety and security reasons.” The district is reviewing its bus key security protocols following the incident, she said.
Erdel said Monday the incident is still under investigation, and no arrests have been made. While the driver “does match a similar description for (a) juvenile Beaufort High School student” who has not attended classes in more than 10 days, according to the report, Erdel said that the “video’s not super clear.” As of Monday afternoon, Police have not been able to make contact with the student suspect.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health crisis, help can be found by calling the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
