Update: Bulloch County Schools can now confirm, based on eyewitness statements and surveillance video from the bus, that the student involved in today's bus incident opened the door and jumped from the bus.
A Bulloch County middle school student has sustained injuries after falling from the back door of a moving school bus.
During morning bus routes on Thursday, February 29, a student fell from the back door of a moving bus that was traveling west on Veterans Parkway. Law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, and school district staff all responded to the scene.
The student was transported by ambulance to Air Evac and airlifted to Savannah. No further information is known at this time as to the child’s condition.
School social workers and counselors were alerted to help support the child’s family as well as the students who were on the bus. Another bus was dispatched to transport the remaining children from the accident scene.
The school bus was staffed with both a school district driver and bus monitor.
The bus’ surveillance video is being reviewed and statements are being obtained from the employees and students who were on the bus; however, early eyewitness accounts indicate that the student opened the rear door of the bus.
As part of Bulloch County Schools’ school bus safety practices, drivers conduct bus safety training with all students each August.
The age-appropriate sessions teach children how to properly get on and off a school bus, how to evacuate the bus in the event of a fire or accident, how to sit and use quiet voices on the bus, danger zones around a bus, and bus stop rules. Drivers also practice safe evacuations with students two times each year.
Grice Connect will update the story as more information becomes available.
