Ossian, N.Y. -- State Police say an eight-year-old girl suffered scrapes and bruises from being dragged by a Dansville Central School bus.
It happened Wednesday afternoon in the town of Ossian, in Livingston County. Troopers say the driver, 62-year-old John Coley, told them he was not paying attention when the girl got off the bus, and closed the door too soon. It trapped her backpack.
Haley Heath was dragged about 900 feet before the bus stopped. Both the district and police say for most of the time, Haley's feet were off the ground and her backpack was holding her up in the door.
She only suffered minor injuries and was take to Noyes Hospital in Dansville.
State Police said Coley would not be charged because it was an accident.
The Dansville Central School District said Coley was placed on administrative leave and has a clean driving record from his eight years as a bus driver.
"We are very fortunate and very thankful that this brave little girl walked away from the accident," Schools Superintendent Dr. Paul Alioto said in a news release.
A boy on the bus heard Haley screaming for help, ran up and told the bus driver to stop. State Police say the force of the sudden stop injured the boy's eye when he slammed into a seat.
A mother of another six-year-old boy on the school bus told 13WHAM News that she knew something was wrong when her son didn't get dropped off after school at his usual time.
She also hopes the injured girl, Haley, is doing okay today.
"I'm thankful to god that she's okay but can you imagine how traumatized this girl is right now?" Iny Kring said. "I can't and if I was her mom I don't know how I would be reacting right now."
Dansville Central School District said it would retrain its bus drivers this week to make sure this kind of incident doesn't happen again.
