Updated

A school bus driver in Missouri was suspended after stranding a first-grader on a school bus for eight hours by accident Tuesday, Fox 2 Now reported.

Elisha Foster, mother of the 6-year-old Flynn Park Elementary School student, told the outlet that every day, she dropped off and picked up her son from the bus stop. However on Tuesday, she said she learned that not only was her son not on the bus, but he also was marked absent from school that day. She told the outlet that she “started panicking” and reported him missing.

The University City School District told Fox 2 Now that the child fell asleep after getting on the bus that morning and didn’t get off with the other students. The driver reportedly didn't see that he was still there.

In a statement to the outlet, the district said its “transportation provider, Missouri Central School Bus Company, has safety procedures in place to guard against this type of situation.”

“However, it appears that those procedures were not followed,” the statement said. “The sleeping student was not seen by the driver and was inadvertently transported back to the bus terminal.”

The unidentified driver was suspended, according to the report. School district officials will reportedly review policies regarding safety and security.