A child is in critical condition after falling from the rear door of a moving school bus in Rockland County, New York.
The incident happened Wednesday, Jan. 14, while the eight-year-old was riding on the bus, according to the Ramapo Police Department. Investigators said the child accidentally activated the rear door release while the vehicle was in motion, Ramapo Police told ABC7.
The child fell onto the roadway but was not struck by any other vehicles. A car traveling behind the bus was able to stop in time, per the outlet.
Police said they were called to a report of an unconscious pedestrian near 70 Main St. in Monsey around 5 p.m., according to ABC7. The child was taken to Westchester County Medical Center, where they remain under treatment.
Local outlet Rockland Daily described the student’s condition as “critical.” The outlet also published photos showing police officers, an ambulance, and members of the community at the scene.
This incident follows a separate school bus tragedy reported in December involving a 5-year-old boy in Maine who died after being dragged when his hand became caught in a bus door.
On Jan. 9, a report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that Simon Gonzalez’s left hand became stuck after he approached the bus as the doors were closing.
“The student extended his left arm into the bus, between the closing doors, and his arm became pinned between the doors as they closed,” the NTSB said. “The bus began to drive south on Route 35, and the student was dragged about 280 feet before he became dislodged from the door, fell to the roadway, and was run over by the bus.”
