A school bus driver in New York was arrested after a 5-year-old student was reportedly dragged along the road after their backpack got stuck in the vehicle’s door.
Deputies learned of the incident on Monday, November 2, when they received a report that a young child had been dragged by a school bus along Martin Drive in Kirkland, New York, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office said in a Tuesday, November 3, statement.
Clinton Central School District bus driver Tasha Van Dayne was operating the vehicle when she stopped at the child’s address and let several kids off the bus. Van Dayne, 37, then reportedly closed the doors as the last student was departing, trapping their backpack in the door.
The sheriff’s office said that the child was allegedly dragged “a distance” before Van Dayne stopped the bus. The child is said to have suffered minor injuries following the incident. Their current condition is not known.
The investigation into the case is ongoing as detectives work to uncover what led up to the incident.
Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol said in a second statement that Van Dayne was arrested on Tuesday when she turned herself in. Van Dayne was arrested and released on an appearance ticket for the class A misdemeanor of reckless endangerment in the second degree.
She is scheduled to appear in Kirkland Town Court on Monday, November 16.
It’s not currently clear if Van Dayne has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following her arrest.
The Clinton Central School District confirmed that a bus driver involved in the incident will “no longer be transporting students,” though they did not name Van Dayne in the statement.
“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 Clinton Central School District said in the release.
The school added that their support team will be available for “counseling and support as needed,” while families of the students who were on the bus route have been notified about the situation.
“The safety and well-being of our students are among our most important responsibilities, and we take an incident of this nature extremely seriously,” the Clinton Central School District said. “Our thoughts are with the student and family, as well as everyone affected by this incident. We understand the trust families place in us each day when they send their children to school, and we remain committed to honoring that trust.”
