A school bus driver pulled over and evacuated about 15 middle and high school students in New Gloucester after reporting a “suspicious device” onboard, officials said.
Members of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene shortly before 3 p.m., temporarily shutting down Ricker Road between Bald Hill Road and the Auburn line, the department said in a statement issued around 5 p.m.
Multiple law enforcement agencies and fire departments joined deputies on the scene, including members of the Maine State Police bomb squad and a K-9 bomb detection unit, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said there was “no longer a potential threat” to the district, students or the general public, though it was still investigating the incident.
Craig King, superintendent of School Administrative District 15, said it has been determined that there was “no danger” on Bus 13, which was carrying middle and high school students to their homes when the driver pulled over and called the school “for a possible threat.”
“It was proven that the bus was safe and the kids were safe,” King said on a phone call around 4:45 p.m. “But we had to investigate to make sure.”
The sheriff’s office directed further questions to Capt. Kerry Joyce, but he could not be reached to answer questions about whether officers found anything on the scene.
King sent out an emailed message to district families around 3:30 p.m., saying “all students and drivers are safe” and that school officials were arranging alternative transportation.
The incident also delayed pickup for some elementary school students, whom the bus was slated to pick up after dropping off the middle and high schoolers. The last students had been picked up by 4:45 p.m., King said.
King said the last time he could remember a bus pulling over for a safety issue was more than a year ago, but Thursday was the first time a driver’s concerns reached this level.
King added that a handful of school officials joined police in responding to the scene.
“I think people did a really good job at sorting out the situation in the moment,” King said.
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