School Bus Driver Facing Charges After Car Hits, Injures Teen

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A school bus driver is facing charges after a 13-year-old boy was struck by a car after being dropped off in the city's Beechview-Brookline neighborhood.

The boy had just gotten off the bus and was trying to cross the street at the intersection of Capital and West Liberty Avenues on Monday afternoon when the accident happened.

The teen suffered a hairline fracture to the lower spine and bleeding to the bladder.

The boy ran out into the street and was hit by a car that was about to pass in front of the bus.

The driver of the car slammed on his brakes, but he couldn't stop in time and the boy rolled off the car and onto West Liberty Avenue.

The driver of the car said he never saw any lights activated on the bus.

The woman behind the wheel of the school bus is now facing charges - including reckless endangerment, filing a false report to police and endangering the welfare of a child.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

When police arrived on the scene of the accident, 48-year old Chawning Jones, the driver of the First Student school bus, told them her flashing yellow and red lights were activated, alerting drivers that students were about to get off.

However, a man who was in the neighborhood and parked nearby, waiting to pick up his daughter from the same school bus, called 911. Officials say he told officials that he recorded the school bus-pedestrian accident on his vehicle's dashboard camera.

After reviewing the video, police said it was clear that Jones never activated her yellow or red lights, nor did her front bumper guard extend out to indicate children were about to be discharged.

In addition, police say the video showed that Jones never exited the bus during the incident, when the child was lying on the pavement.