Auburn Students Takes a Scary Ride, Stuck in the School Bus Doors

An elementary student from Auburn was caught in the doors of a school bus on Friday afternoon as it traveled a few blocks.

How Did This Happen?

The incident happened after school, on Spring Street, when the 10-year-old student from Sherwood Heights Elementary School was getting off the bus. Auburn Police confirmed for us that the boy got his arm and backpack caught in the doors as they closed at his stop. The bus then began moving on toward its next stop, with the boy caught in the door. He lifted his legs to keep from being dragged as the bus traveled through the intersection with Porch Street, and finally stopped again at the stop sign on Hampshire Street.

Did Anyone Try to Help?

At one point, a bystander tried to intervene but, before they could get the driver's attention, they stopped the bus. Police say they responded to a report of a child being dragged but, upon arrival, realized the boy had ridden a short distance outside the bus while clinging to the doors but was never actually dragged.

What Does the School Say About It?

In a letter to parents, posted on the Auburn School Department's website, the Superintendent of Schools Cornelia Brown told parents it was the boy's backpack that got caught in the doors. She says that once the driver realized what was happening, he pulled over and called for help. Brown says the child was evaluated and, as a precaution, taken to Central Maine Medical Center to be checked out with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries.