OAKLAND — A Messalonskee Middle School student was taken by ambulance to a Waterville hospital early Friday after a bus reportedly ran over his foot.

Regional School Unit 18 Superintendent Gary Smith said school officials are investigating the accident, which occurred about 7:50 a.m. on School Bus Drive.

The Oakland police log notes that the person who reported the accident said the bus ran over a student’s foot.

Smith did not confirm that the child’s foot was run over by the bus, but he said the child was injured. He also did not know the child’s condition by 10:15 a.m.

“A student was getting off the bus — we have these storage bins underneath the bus — and he had a musical instrument he was retrieving,” Smith said from Augusta where he was attending a governor’s conference. “He was not out of the way by the time the bus started to move and…an injury was sustained to his foot.”

Smith said the school administration was notified immediately and some school staff who are EMTs were on the scene.

Oakland Rescue also responded immediately, Smith said. He did not know if the child was taken to Thayer Campus, MaineGeneral Medical Center, or Inland Hospital, both of which are in Waterville.
Smith declined to name the bus driver.

“It was one of our veteran drivers,” he said. “I want to hold off on the name until I have more information.”

He said Middle School Principal Mark Hatch and school Transportation Director Lenny Goff responded immediately to the scene.

“We’re doing a full investigation,” Smith said. “They are the folks that are basically working together on an investigation.”

Amy Calder — 861-9247
acalder@centralmaine.com