Pangborn Elementary School student struck by bus

May 08, 2007|by ERIN CUNNINGHAM

HAGERSTOWN - A 6-year-old Pangborn Elementary School student was struck early Monday by the school bus he was boarding.

The boy was boarding the bus on Youngstoun Drive about 7:45 a.m., according to Washington County Public Schools spokeswoman Carol Mowen.

Sheriff's deputies said the boy was taken to Washington County Hospital for treatment of his injuries, which were described as "minor." Police and school officials declined to release additional details about the accident, saying the incident was under investigation.

The school bus driver, whose name was not released, had been driving a bus for the school system for only six weeks, Mowen said. The man received training and certification before being assigned a bus route.

Mowen said school officials did not believe the man would be driving a Washington County Public Schools bus today.

"We do not expect the driver will be placed back on a route until the review is done," she said.

Following the incident, the public schools emergency response team went to the scene to begin an investigation. The driver was replaced, officials said, and the bus continued to pick up more students and take them to Pangborn Elementary.

Officials were unsure how long a review into the incident would take. The driver has been placed on unpaid administrative leave, which is standard operating procedure for the position, Mowen said.

Sheriff's deputies said Monday afternoon that a report on the accident was not yet available.

Washington County Public Schools has more than 250 bus drivers, including county, contract and substitute drivers, officials have said. There are about 210 bus routes that carry about 17,800 students to and from school daily.

Each year, school system buses travel more than 2.7 million miles.

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