A 5-year-old Clinton Elementary School student was dragged by a school bus Monday afternoon after the child's backpack became caught in the bus door, and the driver has since been arrested. The Oneida County Sheriff's Office identified the driver as 37-year-old Tasha Van Dayne of Clinton, New York, who turned herself in one day later. The child sustained minor injuries, according to deputies.
Deputies responded to Martin Drive in the Town of Kirkland following the report, according to CNY Central. The outlet reported that Van Dayne closed the school bus door as the last child was getting off, and the youngster's backpack became trapped inside it. The bus then moved before coming to a stop, dragging the child in the process.
Clinton Central School District Superintendent Christopher Clancy said the bus dragged the student a short distance before the driver realized what had happened and stopped, according to WKTV. NBC 5 Chicago, citing authorities, reported that the incident occurred shortly after Van Dayne let several children off at a residence while driving her afternoon route and that the child was dragged along the road before the bus stopped.
Charges Filed After Driver Turns Herself In
Van Dayne turned herself in to the sheriff's office on Nov. 3, per the same CNY Central report. She was charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor, according to the sheriff's office as reported by CNY Homepage. NBC 5 Chicago reported that Van Dayne did not respond to a request for comment, and that the district did not name her in its own news release.
Her appearance ticket was returnable to Kirkland Town Court on Monday, Nov. 16.
District Pulls Driver From Routes, Offers Counseling
The Clinton Central School District said the driver involved in the incident would no longer be transporting students, according to syracuse.com's report of a district statement issued Nov. 3. The district also said it takes the incident extremely seriously.
According to the same report, the school district said the student did not sustain serious physical injuries but that the incident was frightening and traumatic for the child and for the other children who witnessed it. WKTV reported that the district's support team would be available to provide counseling to students as needed.
Clinton is a central New York town roughly 50 miles southeast of Syracuse, according to NBC 5 Chicago. The outlet also reported that Van Dayne had been driving a 2023 full-size IC bus for Clinton Central School District. The Oneida County Sheriff's Office said the investigation remains ongoing, per syracuse.com.
