A 12-year-old boy suffered “horrific” injuries when a bus driver allegedly drove away with the boy’s foot trapped in the vehicle door, dragging him 300 metres.
Schoolboy Jeremy Thompson was boarding a bus with friends in Mandurah, Western Australia, 71 kilometers south of the state capital, Perth.
But before he was fully on the bus, the driver allegedly closed the door and drove away, breaking Jeremy’s pelvis and hand and tearing the skin off his back.
His friends and other witnesses shouted what was happening, but the driver reportedly accelerated the bus and dragged the boy down the road.
“I put one foot on the bus, he closed it and dragged me from the stop to the light,” Jeremy said. 9News.
Schoolboy Jeremy Thompson (pictured) was seriously injured when a bus driver allegedly trapped his foot in the door of the vehicle and drove away, dragging him for 300 metres.
‘If I had leaned any further back, my head would have sunk into the wheel.
“He just closed the doors, the guys were telling him to stop and they liked it, they kicked the door and stuff… telling him to stop, but he kept going.”
Witness Jamie Phillips said he chased the bus and yelled at the driver to stop.
“I heard a kid yelling and banging, ‘Let me in, let me in,’ and when I turned around he was obviously banging on the bus door,” she said.
“Then he started jumping and then he lost his balance and then he was dragged by the bus.”
Jeremy was allegedly dragged along the busy Pinjarra Road, which has a speed limit of 60km/h, before the driver stopped at the traffic lights at the Mandurah Road intersection.
Witnesses said he opened the door to free the child and then left.
The boy was taken to Peel Health Campus and then transferred to Perth Children’s Hospital, where he underwent two skin grafts.
The Public Transport Authority (PTA) said the bus driver had been dismissed, pending an investigation.
“During the incident, a 12-year-old boy became trapped in the door and was injured after being dragged by the bus,” he said in a statement.
‘The PTA can confirm that our contractor has removed the bus driver.
‘As the matter is being investigated by the police, we are unable to comment further at this time.
“The PTA and its contractor are collaborating in the investigations.”
WA Premier Roger Cook said Jeremy’s were “horrible” and there may be a police investigation into what happened.
Witness Jamie Phillips (pictured) said he chased the bus and shouted at the driver to stop.
“I put one foot on the bus, he closed it and dragged me from the stop to the light,” Jeremy said. Pictured is a Transperth bus door.
“This is a very disturbing report and I believe the bus driver involved has been removed,” Cook said.
“A thorough investigation will be carried out by the PTA and potentially the police as well.”
Jeremy’s grandmother, Brenda Hart, whom he was visiting by bus, said the trauma had left her with nightmares.
“At night, he wakes up screaming, so I need to try to arrange some counseling for that,” she said.
