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Police Investigating After Child Falls Out Of School Bus In Aliquippa

ALIQUIPPA, Pa. (KDKA) -- Officials are investigating after a young child fell out the back of a school bus.

The incident happened Friday when the bus was stopped at Brodhead Road and Mill Street near the CVS Pharmacy in Aliquippa.

Police say the child may have been leaning on the door and another child pulled the door lever.

The child suffered injuries to his face.

KDKA spoke to a parent who had a child on the bus.

She said other parents came down to the intersection when the bus was late.

A bus company dispatcher told them there had been a medical emergency on the bus.

Police say there are conflicting stories about what happened.

The mother KDKA spoke to has a second-grade girl that rides that bus to and from Aliquippa Elementary School.

She says she has called the bus company and school several times about chaos on the bus.

Her daughter told to her what happened today.

"She was terrified," Farran Giardina said. "When I picked her up, she was bawling, as well as a bunch of other kids on the bus. She said she saw the child laying on the concrete and he managed to get into the grass.

"Kids hanging out the windows, screaming out the windows, throwing things out the windows, cussing, banging on the windows, not sitting in their seats, jumping around, jumping over seats."

Giardina said the ambulance was parked at a Marathon gas station when she arrived and the child was able to walk away.

The Aliquippa School District released a statement, saying:

"This afternoon there was an accident on a District school bus involving an elementary school student. The City of Aliquippa and Hopewell Township's Police Departments responded to the scene of the accident followed by District administrative staff and the student's parent.

The student was taken to the hospital by the parent. The student was evaluated and released from the hospital.

At all times, the safety and security of all students is the Aliquippa School District's top priority. The District will continue to review all of its bus policies and procedures to ensure the safety of all students."

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