School bus drags boy whose backpack strap was stuck in door

BUXTON, Maine (AP) — A kindergartner whose backpack got stuck in the door of a school bus was dragged about about 575 feet (175.2 meters) before the driver noticed, officials said.

The boy’s mother, Athena Lavigne, watched in horror as her 6-year-old son’s backpack strap got stuck as the door closed Thursday afternoon. She ran after the bus as it drove away.

“I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I just wanted him to stop. I didn’t think he was going to stop. I thought he was going to just keep driving. It felt like forever,” she told WGME-TV.

The boy, who was wearing shorts and sneakers, suffered road rash and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The district says the 63-year-old bus driver is relatively new. He’s since been placed on administrative leave.