Clinton Student Dragged After Backpack Gets Stuck in Bus Door
A scary situation unfolded in Central New York after an elementary school student was dragged by a school bus. Thankfully, the child was not seriously hurt.
Backpack Caught in Bus Door
The Oneida County Sheriff's Office says 37-year-old Tasha Van Dayne of Clinton stopped the bus on her afternoon route, and several children got off. As the last child exited, Van Dayne closed the bus doors. The 5 year-old child's backpack became caught in the doors, causing the child to be dragged along with the bus before it came to a stop.
The child suffered minor injuries in the incident.
In a message to parents, Clinton Central School Superintendent Christopher Clancyy said the district is taking the incident seriously and the driver will no longer be transporting students.
The school support team is also being made available to provide counseling to anyone who needs it.
The Oneida County Sheriff's Office is continuing to investigate.
Unfortunately, This Has Happened Before
As frightening as this incident is, it's not the first time something like this has happened in Central New York.
In September, a 4-year-old girl in the Cato-Meridian School District was dragged approximately 15 feet after her backpack became caught in the bus doors as she was getting off. Thankfully, she wasn't physically injured either.
READ MORE: 4-Year-Old Dragged by Central New York School Bus After Backpack Gets Stuck
It's a reminder of how quickly something can go wrong during a routine school bus stop and how important it is to make sure every student is safely clear before a bus pulls away.
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Gallery Credit: Credit - Polly McAdams