A routine ride home from school turned into a terrifying ordeal when a 5-year-old New York child was dragged along the roadway after their backpack became trapped in a school bus door, leading to the driver’s arrest.
The frightening incident unfolded Monday afternoon, November 2, along Martin Drive in the town of Kirkland, near Clinton, New York, as students from the Clinton Central School District were being dropped off after school.
According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, 37-year-old bus driver Tasha Van Dayne had stopped at the child’s address and allowed several students to exit the bus.
But as the last child stepped off, something went dangerously wrong.
Investigators say Van Dayne closed the bus doors before the 5-year-old’s backpack had cleared the opening, trapping it between the doors. The driver then allegedly pulled away, dragging the child along the road while the backpack remained caught.
The bus traveled an unspecified distance before finally stopping.
Miraculously, the child escaped with only minor physical injuries, despite the frightening circumstances.
The incident prompted an investigation by the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, which determined that the driver’s actions warranted criminal charges.
On Tuesday, November 3, Van Dayne, a resident of Clinton, turned herself in to authorities and was arrested on one count of second-degree reckless endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor under New York law.
She was released with an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear in Kirkland Town Court on November 16.
Meanwhile, the Clinton Central School District confirmed that Van Dayne would no longer be transporting students following the incident.
Superintendent Christopher Clancy acknowledged the frightening experience in a message to families, emphasizing that the district was relieved the child had not suffered more serious injuries.
“While we are relieved that the student did not sustain serious physical injuries, we recognize that this was a frightening and traumatic experience,” the district said, noting that other children aboard the bus had witnessed what happened.
School officials contacted the families of students who were on the route and announced that counseling and additional support would be available to anyone affected.
“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 district added.
The shocking accident has also renewed concerns about the dangers children face while getting on and off school buses, particularly when backpacks, clothing or other belongings become caught in automatic doors.
In an unsettling coincidence, a similar incident occurred in Central New York in September, when a 4-year-old girl in the Cato-Meridian School District was reportedly dragged approximately 15 feet after her backpack became trapped in a bus door. She also escaped without serious physical injuries.
School transportation safety guidelines emphasize that drivers must ensure children have completely cleared the vehicle before closing the doors and pulling away.
The Clinton Central School District’s own safety guidance warns families about dangling backpack accessories and the importance of staying clear of a bus’s danger zones.
Authorities have not publicly identified the injured 5-year-old or disclosed how far the child was dragged. Investigators are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.