NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A missing 7-year-old boy is now safe after a school bus driver from Clarksville-Montgomery County School System found him walking down the road.
Stephanie Dollich had just finished dropping off her 11 kids on her normal route in the district. Thursday morning, she noticed a post on the Clarksville Police social media pages about a missing child.
She memorized the child's face and name and began looking for him on her way through her route, which is in the area where the child went missing.
She saw a child walking down a side road on her way home, and turned her bus to investigate.
"The child didn't say anything," said Dollich. "I pulled my bus over, I opened my door. He stopped, he looked at me, I said, 'are you?' and I said his name. He just looked at me and shook his head, yes. I said ,'Hey buddy, why don't you come up here and sit down.'"
A bus aid wrapped the young boy in a blanket and Dollich radioed dispatch. They sent deputies to pick the boy up. He's been reunited with his family.
"It touched me," said Dollich. "It made me think of some of my younger students... I felt that I needed to find him and I did. So, I'm just glad he's home."
Dollich was honored by DOE commissioner Penny Schwinn Friday. She said Dollich is an example of the hard work all of the state's education staff and faculty put in for their kids.
"She is just the best of the best in terms of the example that she's setting for everybody," said Schwinn.
