On 9/28/2015 at approximately 2:30am, officers working the overnight shift came across an unusual situation in the downtown Darien area. At that time approximately 60 people were located on West Avenue near the Post Road. The people were standing on the sidewalk with suitcases and various personal items. The group was comprised of elderly, middle aged, and adolescents and most were non-English speaking which complicated the situation further.
Investigation determined that these individuals had been on a tour bus traveling from Philadelphia to Boston after seeing Pope Francis in Philadelphia earlier in the day. While driving through the area on I-95, the bus driver suddenly claimed that he was "driving too long" and he needed to go to a hotel to sleep. The driver let all of the people off the bus near the Darien Train Station and advised them they needed to take a train to Boston. Darien officers realized that it would be at least three or more hours before a train was available in Darien and this was clearly not a viable option for the cold, hungry and tired passengers.
Every passenger was transported safely without incident and made the train to Boston.
Police have been in contact with the bus company, LCL Transportation of Boston, MA, in attempt to gather further information as to why the passengers were left stranded in Darien. At this point management of the company has indicated that the passengers were presented with alternatives but did not accept those options.