A bus driver has been sacked after dramatic CCTV footage emerged showing a 12-year-old boy pinned to the outside of a moving public bus and dragged through the streets.
The footage captures the ordeal, which began when the schoolboy, Nathaniel, exited the bus on Wheelers Hill around 8am on March 16.
Before he could fully exit, the bus door closed, trapping his school bag and right arm inside.
The bus then continued on its route, dragging a helpless Nathaniel along Brandon Park Drive for about 350 metres until the driver realised what was happening.
The Herald Sun understands fellow commuters on the bus screamed at the driver to stop when they noticed him hanging on.
Nathaniel’s mother, Grace Pan, took to social media to express her anger at the incident, saying it was a miracle her son escaped injury.
“Nathaniel had to lift his legs off the road and hang on with his right hand to the inner door rail while passing parked cars just centimetres away,” she said.
“He now suffers from anxiety and is no longer confident to catch the bus by himself.”
Nathaniel is now seeing a psychologist over the trauma.
“When he sees a bus, he says his hands shake uncontrollably, as a mum would you not feel upset and also helpless?” Ms Pan asked.
She lashed out at operators Ventura Bus Lines, saying it had showed a lack of accountability over the incident.
“As his primary caregiver, I am not entitled to any support from TAC (Transport Accident Commission) or Ventura Bus Lines for the trauma, financial burden and disruption this accident has caused me and our family,” she said.
“Ventura has simply referred us to TAC despite knowing that as a minor with no physical injury or loss of income, our entitlements are limited to our out-of-pocket psychologist expenses.
“There has been no acknowledgment of the safety failures … and zero incident transparency.”
In an email sent by Ventura to Nathaniel’s mother, Ventura apologised for “not delivering a service to your expectations”.
“It is disappointing to hear you have experienced poor service delivery and I appreciate the opportunity to improve our service,” Ventura said.
Premier Jacinta Allan said she had directed TAC Minister Ben Carroll to ensure the family was supported following the “shocking” incident.
“I’ve asked him to direct the TAC to reach out to the family to see what further support can be provided, because while thankfully, that young boy wasn’t physically injured, it’s clearly had an impact,” she said.
“Every parent wants to make sure their child gets to school safely, and that footage was just a shocking incident, and my thoughts are with that young boy and his family.”
A Ventura spokesperson said: “Following a full investigation into this incident, and internal disciplinary procedures, the driver’s employment has been terminated.”
Originally published as Schoolboy dragged 350 metres after backpack, arm trapped in bus door in Wheelers Hill
