BUXTON, Maine — A 7-year-old kindergartener was injured Thursday afternoon when his backpack became stuck in the door of a school bus and the bus drove off, dragging the child several hundred feet.
The MSAD 6 Buxton Center Elementary School student was brought to Maine Medical Center for observation after suffering injuries not considered life-threatening, Principal Craig Pendleton and Assistant Principal Molly Mingione wrote in a letter to the community.
Superintendent Paul Penna told NEWS CENTER Maine the student is in kindergarten and that the Buxton Police Department would be investigating the incident.
"We will follow up with our own investigation and review of safety protocols. Obviously, this is a concern, as student safety is paramount," Penna said.
The bus, driven by 63-year-old Kenneth Hawley, traveled approximately 573 feet at a slow speed before coming to a stop, according to a news release issued Friday morning from the Buxton police. The incident took place on Dunnell Road, near Pinder Road.
Twenty-nine other students were on the bus at the time of the incident, the release states. Those students were transferred to another bus to be brought home while police continued their investigation.