Family sues after school bus drags 6-year-old girl along street by her backpack
The 6-year-old suffered from PTSD, nerve damage, and has since had major surgery
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A video of a Kentucky school girl’s terrifying ordeal from 2015, in which she was dragged along by a school bus, has been released as a trial begins into the incident.
The girl, who was aged six at the time, was getting off the Jefferson County school bus six years ago when her backpack appeared to get stuck in its doors.
The doors closed and trapped the child. School bus driver Melinda Sanders is accused by the girl’s family of failing to notice the child getting off the bus.
The girl’s family alleged in court on Tuesday that the bus was driven 1,1,47 feet before coming to a stop. Both Ms Sanders and Jefferson County school district are named in the lawsuit.
Video footage obtained by WAVE 3 News, which was expected to feature in the trial, showed the six-year-old getting dragged along by the school bus while hanging from its doors by her backpack.
Ms Sanders failed to realise what was unfolding to her left, before hearing a passing vehicle beep her, the video shows. She can be heard saying; “Oh my God, Oh my God”.
The school district fired the driver after an investigation determined she did not watch the child get off the bus and ensure that all children were seated before driving, as required by her training.
As NBC 12 reported, Ms Sanders was found to have broken a total of 16 rules during the incident.
The child, who was identified as AR in court, suffered severe nerve damage and PTSD, and has since had multiple surgeries, the lawsuit reportedly said.
The family of the six-year-old is asking for damages, and the trial is ongoing.