A school bus driver has been arrested in Clinton, New York after a five-year-old was dragged, when their backpack was caught in the vehicle’s doors. According to a press release from the Oneida County’ Sheriff’s office, the bus driver, Tasha Van Dayne, had stopped the bus at the child’s residence on Nov. 2 while on her afternoon route. After several students exited the bus, Van Dayne closed the bus doors, just as the last child was getting off. The student’s backpack got caught in the doors and the child was dragged “a distance” before the bus stopped, according to the release. The child sustained minor injuries as a result of the incident. Police reported in an update that Van Dayne turned herself into the authorities the next day. She now faces charges of second-degree reckless endangerment and a Class A misdemeanour. In a statement on Tuesday, the child’s school district, Clinton Central School District, acknowledged that the incident likely had an impact on students who saw it happen. “While we are relieved that the student did not sustain serious physical injuries, we recognize that this was a frightening and traumatic experience, not only for the student involved, but also for the children who were still on the bus and witnessed what occurred,” the statement read. They added that the families of students who were on this bus have been contacted so “they are aware of the situation.” The school district said that there would be support teams available to provide students with counselling and support. The district also confirmed that the bus driver involved in the incident “will no longer be transporting students.”
