DETROIT (WXYZ) — A Detroit bus driver and police officers are being honored for helping a missing 9-year-old boy return home safely after he boarded two city buses instead of walking home from school.
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Mary Wynn said her son, Kyari Harris, went missing after getting in trouble at school on April 10. Instead of walking home after getting off his school bus on the city's east side, Kyari boarded a DDOT bus that took him to the downtown transit center. From there, he took a second city bus headed toward Outer Drive and Fort Street.
"He's never done it before, so I was half-dead. This is my only child," Wynn said. "Just praying he would come safely."
DDOT bus driver Thomas Burgan said something felt off when he saw Kyari board his bus alone.
"It was just something in mind, saying, there's something a little off on this. Like why is this kid getting on my bus by himself," Burgan said.
While driving down Fort Street, Burgan received an alert about a missing child — and realized Kyari was on his bus.
"As I read it, I'm like 'man, that's the kid,'" Burgan said.
Burgan approached Kyari and attempted to take a picture, but the 9-year-old ran off. Burgan quickly called it in, and police found Kyari eating at a nearby McDonald's in Lincoln Park.
"We let him eat a little bit, get his stuff, and then we brought him back home," Detroit Police Department Officer Elijah Williams said.
On Thursday, Mayor Mary Sheffield honored those responsible for Kyari's safe return with a "Rise Higher" award.
"To me, this really just signifies what community is all about, the true spirit of our city, of us coordinating and working together to ensure the safety of our youth in Detroit," Sheffield said.
With Detroit K-12 students able to ride DDOT buses for free, Sheffield said the city will continue to evaluate the program.
"Figuring out how we can improve on it once it becomes a permanent program," Sheffield said.
Now home safe, Kyari has a message for other children.
"Just don't run away or do what I did, just be a good kid in school," Kyari said.
Mayor Sheffield also honored DDOT emergency transportation dispatcher Stephen Lindsay, who sent out the alert that Burgan responded to.
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