A 6-year-old student in Buxton Maine suffered only minor injuries after his backpack got caught in the school bus loading door and he was dragged as the vehicle proceeded down the street, reported Local 12 News.
The child’s mother, Athena Lavigne was waiting for him at the bus stop and witnessed the incident.
Lavigne said she saw her niece get off the bus safely, but her son’s backpack strap got stuck as the bus doors closed. The bus then pulled away from the stop.
Lavigne gave chase and screamed to the driver to stop, which they did a short distance later. Still, the boy was drug hundreds of feet.
According to Lavigne, her son is feeling better despite scrapes and bruises.
Bonnie Eagle School District Transportation Director Dottie Muchmore said the loading and unloading of students are very important and are the most critical time of a bus driver’s job.
Muchmore reportedly said the standard safety procedure requires drivers to wait for students to finish crossing the street before closing the doors and driving away.
According to another news report, the 63-year-old bus driver is relatively new to the district and has been placed on administrative leave as Bonnie Eagle School District and local police continue to investigate.
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