Goodyear police are deciding whether to file criminal charges against a driver who left a disabled teen for several hours on his empty school bus Tuesday.

The 16-year-old boy has autism and cannot speak. He was placed on the bus Tuesday morning before 9 p.m. and taken with several other children to the Precious Homes Services daycare center for individuals with disabilities in Goodyear.

However, it wasn't until noon when daycare workers noticed the boy had not arrived with the other students.

"That bus driver parked the bus and apparently did not follow exit procedures," said Lisa Berry with Goodyear Police, "which includes checking each row of that bus for any left passengers."

The boy had gone unnoticed sitting in the hot and empty bus for about three hours as outside temperatures climbed toward 104 degrees.

He was taken to a Valley hospital for heat exposure and is expected to recover.