The Driver Was Arrested After A 5-Year-Old Was Dragged By A School Bus
A 5-Year-Old Was Dragged By A School Bus. The Driver Was Arrested.
RawNews1st – Deputies responded to Martin Drive in Kirkland, New York, after receiving a report that a 5-year-old child had been dragged by a school bus during an afternoon drop-off. The child survived the incident with minor injuries.
According to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, 37-year-old Tasha Van Dayne, of Clinton, was operating a 2023 full-size IC school bus for the Clinton Central School District when she stopped at a residence to allow several children to get off.
As the children exited the bus, a 5-year-old was the last to leave. However, as the child stepped off, Van Dayne closed the bus doors before the child’s backpack had completely cleared the doorway.
The backpack became trapped between the closed doors, leaving the child attached to the outside of the bus.
Van Dayne then began driving forward, dragging the child along the roadway while the backpack remained caught in the doors.
The bus eventually stopped, bringing the incident to an end.
Authorities confirmed that the child sustained minor injuries. However, investigators have not publicly disclosed how far the child was dragged, the exact nature of the injuries, or whether hospital treatment was required.
The incident prompted an investigation by the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office into the circumstances surrounding the child’s injuries and the driver’s actions.
Investigators determined that Van Dayne had closed the doors while the child’s backpack was still caught in the doorway and subsequently moved the bus forward.
The Clinton Central School District also began addressing the incident, which had occurred in the presence of other children who remained aboard the bus.
On November 3, 2026, Superintendent Christopher Clancy notified families about what had happened and confirmed that the driver involved would no longer be transporting students.
The district did not specify whether Van Dayne had been terminated or placed on administrative leave.
School officials also acknowledged that several students had witnessed the incident and that the experience could have affected them emotionally.
The district contacted families of students who had been aboard the bus and announced that counseling and additional support would be available to those affected.
Officials expressed relief that the injured child had avoided more serious physical harm while emphasizing the importance of student safety during transportation.
School records also revealed that Van Dayne had been approved for appointment as a bus driver by the Clinton Central School Board during a special meeting on August 4, 2026, approximately three months before the incident.
The appointment does not establish whether she had previously worked as a school bus driver for another district.
On November 3, 2026, Van Dayne voluntarily surrendered to deputies at the Oneida County law enforcement building.
Following the investigation, she was arrested and charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, a Class A misdemeanor.
Van Dayne was released with an appearance ticket rather than being held in custody.
She is scheduled to appear in Kirkland Town Court on November 16, 2026.
Authorities have not publicly explained what caused Van Dayne to realize the child was being dragged or whether surveillance cameras aboard the bus captured the incident.
The criminal case remains pending.
