Local

'Hysterical' girl found 2 miles from normal school bus stop

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County School District has launched an investigation into whether a Columbia Middle School student was dropped off by a bus driver at least two miles from her home.

Briana Ridley was found wandering along a dark frontage road along Interstate 285 Tuesday evening by a pair of ministers heading into a meeting.

They thought she was being chased by someone and said she was hysterical.

"I didn't know where I was. I was walking and I walked past a lot of buildings and there was no lights on where I was," Briana said.

Luckily, she was found by the ministers.

"She was screaming, 'Where am I? Do you know where Glenwood is? I need my mom,'" Xavier Combs said.

Combs and fellow minister Sherice Worthern told Channel 2's Tony Thomas at first it looked like a scene out of a horror movie. Briana was crying, was carrying her shoes and acted like someone was chasing her.

"We did think there was something going on and she was running from something," Worthen said.

"So I'm bracing myself for someone to come running out of the darkness after her," Combs added.

The ministers took Briana home.

Wednesday, DeKalb Schools began looking into the case, trying to figure out if Briana was actually on the bus she said she was on and if so, if the driver did anything wrong.

As of Tuesday night, school district spokeswoman Lillian Guvus said, they weren't sure of all the facts but, "We do take these allegations seriously and move quickly."

Briana's mother fears what might have happened and is demanding answers.

"Had it not been two ministers pick my child up, it could have been two crazy people, or four crazy people, and it would have been a different story," said Shavondia Carter.