Palm Coast, FL – A middle school student is sent to the hospital after he was hit by a Flagler County school bus.
Flagler County Schools says it happened just after 7am Monday along Parkview Drive in Palm Coast, just in front of Belle Terre Park. That’s around a quarter-mile from the entrance to Buddy Taylor Middle School.
FCS spokesman Jason Wheeler says the 8th grader – who was not identified – was riding a bicycle in the crosswalk when bus #20104 struck him.
“The driver of the bus is on administrative leave pending an internal investigation,” Wheeler added. “He has been cited for failing to yield in a crosswalk.”
The bus driver has been identified as 69-year-old Ronald Schmidli of Palm Coast.
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office investigators say it appears that the bus was trying to turn at the intersection when the accident happened and that the bus wasn’t going very fast at the time of impact.
Flagler Schools Superintendent Jacob Oliva says the district’s response team was “immediately activated” once the incident happened.
“School administrators were on the scene quickly and the student was taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure,” Oliva noted. “A team of counselors has been sent to Buddy Taylor Middle School as well.”
The student’s injuries were reportedly minor and he has been discharged from the hospital.
The 8th grader was also given a citation for not wearing a helmet, but that ticket can be dismissed if he gets a helmet within 30 days.
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.