PUEBLO — More than 60 fentanyl pills were found on a charter bus full of 4th graders on March 12th.
Pueblo school district 60 (D60) students went to Denver on a school field trip. The district chartered a bus with Ramblin Express.
Parents want answers and are questioning how well the charter bus was cleaned.
"This was way, way too close of a call," said Sarah McCraw.
McCraw said her 10-year-old was on that bus. She said the district called to warn her son may have been exposed to fentanyl.
"After the shock and once I realized he was okay, I became pretty angry thinking, how can something this careless happen."
The COO of the charter bus company, Ramblin Express, said a driver cleaned the bus thoroughly the night before and the morning of the field trip, including wiping between the seats.
McCraw asked her son if they found pills on the bus, "he said we found money, we found combs and other dirty stuff, but we didn't find any pills."
Colorado Springs Police said the bus driver found the pills around 5:15 p.m. and called Ramblin Express. They then called police and notified D60.
Police recommend parents talking with their kids about the dangers of fentanyl.
"If they happen to find [unknown pills], don't ingest them, don't touch them, don't play with them," said spokesperson Caitlin Ford. "It really is life or death here."
So far this year, Colorado Springs Police nearly sized more fentanyl pills than in 2022 and 2023 combined.
"The lethal dose of fentanyl is so small, it really does not take much to kill an adult, let alone kill a child," said Ford.
News5 asked if there is any bus surveillance video being used in the investigation. We are waiting for confirmation from the police.
No arrests have been made.
There is an educational resource where parents and children can learn about the dangers surrounding fentanyl. It's called The Connect Effect Campaign, and it was launched through the Colorado Department of Human Services and Attorney General Phil Weiser to improve the health of Colorado children.
The website shows what fentanyl and fake prescription pills look like. It also shows the signs of an opioid overdose and how to use Narcan. You can learn more by visiting Connect Effect Colorado's Website.
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