Teen ‘tired of walking’ steals school bus

Flintstone's finest. (Catoosa County Jail)Walking, a physical act similar to exercise, is dreadfully boring, which only partially explains the runaway success of MARTA.

It may also explain why a Georgia teen just released from jail would steal a school bus to get home.

In Fort Oglethorpe, a tiny town up near Tennessee, the very bedrock of society was rocked when a Flintstone, Ga., teen absconded with a Catoosa County school bus.

Fort Oglethorpe Detective James Leamon told CatoosaNews.com that Jonathan Cole Collins, 18, took bus No. 77 from the parking lot of Battlefield Primary School Feb. 1 and drove it eight miles to Chattanooga Valley Elementary School in neighboring Walker County.

“[Collins] stated that he had walked into Fort Oglethorpe from the Catoosa County Detention Center (a trip of about 6½ miles), and was getting tired. He saw the open bus door, the keys inside, and decided that he wasn’t going to walk anymore,” said Leamon.

Video from a school bus camera quickly identified Collins, who was arrested Feb. 5.

Collins remained jailed Tuesday on theft charges. School bus drivers are advised to not leave the keys in unlocked vehicles the day he gets out.

34 comments Add your comment

cdp

February 13th, 2013
12:43 am

@boo hoo, nope, every problem I have is pretty much my own fault. I dont look for excuses, like most of the people positing have done for this kid…I just do not believe the excuses would be as abundant if he wasnt white. He is just a poor kid that made a few mistakes…right?

DeadManWalking

February 13th, 2013
8:59 am

@CDP, I logged on today to primarily make the exact comment as you. Had this person been non-white, he would have been ostracized by 47% of the commentators on here – much like they’re spewing their hate speech about the ladies who disfigured some peers because of Instagram. I really do not understand why so many use this board to show their true colors; oh wait, I do. Hiding behind a mask or a user handle is easier than letting your co-workers, friends and fellow church members know what you truly think. Sadly, acting as a racist or a bigot is nothing to be proud of.

Hughie Hogg

February 13th, 2013
6:21 pm

I didn’t even know we have a town named Flintstone, that’s pretty cool. When the locals high five each other wonder if they say “yaba daba DOO”.

arlene

February 15th, 2013
3:27 pm

The keys should not have been left in the igntion in the first place. Suppose some kids had stolen that bus for a joy ride and killed someone.