An eight-year-old child fell from the rear door of a moving school bus in Monsey, NY, on Jan. 14 at about 5 p.m. Ramapo Police said the child accidentally triggered the rear-door release and fell onto the roadway near 70 Main St. The student was transported to Westchester County Medical Center and is in critical condition, local reporting said. Authorities are investigating the incident amid renewed concerns about school bus safety after a separate December tragedy in Maine.
8-Year-Old Critically Injured After Falling From Rear Door of Moving School Bus in Monsey, NY
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An eight-year-old student is in critical condition after falling from the rear door of a moving school bus in Monsey, Rockland County, on Wednesday, Jan. 14, at about 5 p.m., local authorities said.
Ramapo Police told ABC7 the child accidentally activated the rear-door release while aboard the vehicle and fell onto the roadway near 70 Main St. According to reports, a vehicle traveling behind the bus was able to stop in time and the child was not struck by additional traffic.
Town of Ramapo Police DepartmentTown of Ramapo Police Department vehicle
Officers, ambulance personnel and community members were pictured at the scene. Emergency responders transported the child to Westchester County Medical Center, where officials say the student is being treated in critical condition, according to local outlet Rockland Daily.
Officials Responding and Ongoing Investigation
The Town of Ramapo Police Department confirmed its response to an unconscious pedestrian call at approximately 5 p.m. People has contacted the Town of Ramapo Police Department and Westchester County Medical Center for comment but did not immediately receive a response. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of the fall.
GettyStock image of ambulance
Context And Safety Concerns
Community members and safety advocates have noted the incident amid renewed attention to school bus safety following a December tragedy in Maine in which a 5-year-old boy, Simon Gonzalez, died after becoming caught in a closing bus door and subsequently dragged by the vehicle. On Jan. 9 the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed that the child’s arm became pinned between closing doors and he was dragged about 280 feet before being dislodged.
"The student extended his left arm into the bus, between the closing doors, and his arm became pinned between the doors as they closed," the NTSB wrote in its report on the Maine incident.
Local and state officials typically review safety protocols after such incidents; investigators in Rockland County are expected to examine how the door release was activated and whether any equipment or procedural changes are needed to prevent similar accidents.
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