| Related Links: |
A runaway school bus struck and injured a young boy in Prince George’s County the morning of April 7. Charges are pending against the driver, who apparently left the bus and four other students unattended. Details of the Prince George’s County accident are as follows:
An eight-year-old boy was injured Monday morning when a school bus drifted toward him. The boy, whose name has not been released, was waiting at his bus stop near High Point High School in Beltsville around 7:15 a.m. when the accident occurred. According to Prince George’s County Police, the school bus driver was not in the vehicle when the bus started drifting toward the pedestrian.
The bus was parked at the high school across from Powder Mill Road. For reasons that are still under investigation, the bus began to move, drifting across the road and coming to a stop just past the intersection of Powder Mill Road and Glenshell Road. An aerial picture showed the bus partially in the ditch at the corner of the intersection.
As it drifted out of control, the bus hit the young pedestrian, who became stuck underneath the vehicle. A passerby saw the accident and helped the boy get out from underneath the bus. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries but had already been released by Monday afternoon. Four other students were left unattended on the bus. All four suffered minor injuries.
The bus driver has been identified as 61-year-old Arturo R. Harris of Clinton. He faces charges of reckless endangerment as well as several traffic violations. Police believe Harris left the bus and its occupants unattended while he went to the bathroom.