A 37-year-old school bus driver from New York has been arrested following allegations that she “trapped” the backpack of a 5-year-old student in the doors of her vehicle while the child was disembarking, subsequently “dragging” the young student alongside the moving bus.
The driver, identified as Tasha Van Dayne, was taken into custody on Tuesday and formally charged with one count of reckless endangerment, as announced by the relevant authorities.
According to an official press release issued by the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched on Monday to the Martin Drive area in Kirkland in response to a report involving a 5-year-old child being “dragged by a school bus.” The town of Kirkland is situated approximately 50 miles east of Syracuse.
At the time of the incident, Van Dayne was operating her regularly assigned afternoon route for the Clinton Central School District, according to deputies.
Authorities confirmed that Van Dayne had brought the bus to a stop in front of the alleged victim’s residence, at which point several children proceeded to exit the vehicle.
“Van Dayne closed the school bus door as the last child exited the bus and the backpack of the child became trapped in the bus doors,” the sheriff’s office stated in the release. “The child was dragged a distance before the bus stopped.”
Officials confirmed that the child sustained “minor injuries” as a direct result of the incident.
Van Dayne voluntarily turned herself in to authorities on Tuesday, was formally arrested, issued an appearance ticket, and subsequently released.
A separate press release issued by the school district indicated that the victim’s backpack “became caught” in the bus door as the vehicle moved forward, “dragging the student for a short distance before the driver became aware of what had happened and stopped.”
“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 district’s release states. “Today and in the days ahead, our school support team will be available to provide counseling and support as needed.”
While the district refrained from identifying Van Dayne by name, it confirmed that the driver involved in the incident “will no longer be transporting students.”
Van Dayne is scheduled to appear before Kirkland Town Court on November 16, according to authorities.
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