Police investigating how boy's leg was run over by bus
By DAVID FITZGERALD
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dfitzgerald@nwherald.com
ALGONQUIN - Authorities are still investigating how a school bus’s rear wheel rolled over the foot and up the leg of a 7-year-old Neubert Elementary School student Monday morning.
The boy, from Gilberts, got off his bus and was seen walking near the curb on his way to line-up for classes, when he somehow got under the bus, which started moving.
The boy was taken to Sherman Hospital, and then transferred to Lutheran General Hospital for further treatment for injuries to his legs and pelvic area.
“It is undetermined whether this was mechanical error or human error,” said District 300 Safety Officer Gary Chester.
The bus driver will not get back behind the wheel of a bus until an investigation into the accident is completed, Chester said.
He said the bus is also being put out of use until Illinois State Police release the results of an inspection of it.
Algonquin Deputy Police Chief Ed Urban said no citations have been issued, and he is unsure whether any will be filed. His office is also waiting for the state police to finish their report of the bus inspection.
“It could just be an accident,” Urban said.
Because the incident occurred in the morning while students were arriving at school, many students and parents saw the bus roll over the boy.
“We brought in extra counselors to support students who may have seen the accident,” Chester said.
Chester said Durham School Services, District 300’s transportation provider, is also conducting an investigation of the incident.
Police and school officials would not release the name of the driver because she has not been charged with a crime.
