School bus pulls away with boy caught in door

1/27/2005

A Sylvania kindergartner escaped injury after his arm was caught in the door of a district school bus Monday as it pulled away from a curb with the boy suspended above the roadway.

"We were very lucky'' there was no serious injury, Brad Rieger, superintendent of Sylvania schools, said.

Mr. Rieger declined to identify the driver, who has been suspended with pay, or the boy, who was back in school Tuesday, until an investigation by the school district is completed.

The incident occurred about 11:45 a.m. in Toledo on Alexis Road near Talmadge Road at the eastern end of the Sylvania school district as the bus was taking students home from their morning kindergarten classes.

Mr. Rieger said the child and others were dropped off, and then the bus driver began to travel eastbound and move toward the center lane before making a planned left turn.

The boy, who attends Hill View Elementary School, was suspended off the ground with his right arm lodged in the door as the bus drove, Mr. Rieger said.

Drivers behind the bus began to honk their horns, Mr. Rieger said. A passenger in a car ran to the bus and pulled the boy away.

"We're not sure how [the incident] happened,'' he said.

No police were called to the scene, although Mr. Rieger said he contacted Toledo police to alert them of the incident.

Mr. Rieger said he will determine what, if any, level of discipline is called for, "and then we have to see what procedures can be in place to make sure nothing like this happens again.''

Mr. Rieger said he spoke with the boy's parents.

Meanwhile, Toledo Public Schools is investigating a minor bus accident Tuesday at Peck and Elm streets in which two Sherman Elementary School students many have been hurt.

Joe Kahl, director of transportation for the Toledo school system, said the bus appears to have hit a parked car about 3:30 p.m.

The driver said he wasn't aware of the accident until the next day, when he was shown damage near the rear of the bus.

Sixty-one students in grades kindergarten through six were on the bus.