Teenager Gets HIV from Needle on a Bus? Syringe & Packets Found on the Floor

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A 16-year-old girl is undergoing hepatitis and HIV blood tests after being pricked by a needle on a bus. Francesca Palmer-Norris, from Brighton, East Sussex is waiting for blood tests results after accidentally sitting on a needle found in the top deck of a number 24 Brighton and Hove Bus Company vehicle, reports Daily Mail.

"My friend and I had got on the bus to go home and we were sat on the top. I suddenly had this shooting pain in the back of my leg. I reached down and pulled out a needle that had snapped in half. Then I looked down the side of the bus seat and there were packets and a syringe on the floor and the rest of the needle," she said, referring to the incident.  

The teenager then went to report the concern to the driver when the bus stopped, states The Argus UK. Norris continues her statement saying, "Then the bus stopped outside Asda and I explained to the bus driver what had happened and he said it was best to go to the hospital." 

According to The Argus, the young lady spent the next four hours in the hospital where she received a hepatitis jab and HIV blood tests. As she waits for the results, she says, "The worrying thing now is I am waiting for the results to come back. My head is all over the place right now. I can't sleep." 

Daily Mail reports that the driver correctly handled the issue and followed the procedure after learning about what happened. Adrian Tullet, the Brighton and Hove Bus Company's head of operations, stated that, "The driver followed procedure and secured off the top deck as soon as he was made aware of an object that needed removing from the seating area and he took the vehicle out of service for a full inspection as soon as was practically possible" 

As of now, both the police and the bus company are investigating the incident. Tullett said that the CCTV footage of the us is being reviewed. 

Tullet added, "We have also carried and interview with the driver concerned. We would like to reassure passengers that we take these matters very seriously and that all our buses get a visual inspection at the end of each journey. Our customer services team is liaising direct with the girl's family."