KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A man received a misdemeanor citation for reckless endangerment and disregarding a bus signal on Oct. 26 after he hit a young child while a school bus was stopped, Knox County deputies said.
The 7-year-old child was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center with "suspected minor injuries," according to a report from the Knox County Sheriff's Office. It said the man, John David Jaeger, 61, hit the child on East Hendron Chapel Road around 7:29 a.m.
The child's mother said she saw the child get hit.
When deputies arrived, they said Rural Metro was already helping the child and they spoke with Jaeger. He told deputies he saw the school bus with yellow flashing lights, but said the bus' stop sign was not displayed out. When asked, the report said Jaeger told deputies he saw yellow lights on the bus and they meant he should slow down. He said, "I guess I didn't slow down enough."
"I'm not saying I'm innocent here, I understand I'm not," he said, according to the report.
According to the KCSO report, the child was able to stand up and walk to the stretcher.
The report says the school bus driver saw Jaeger driving toward the bus and had tried to position it over the road's double yellow line to try and block him. The driver said the stop sign was displayed with red flashing lights once the bus was stopped completely, per policy. Eight children were on the bus at the time time of the crash.
They were loaded onto a different bus and taken to New Hopewell Elementary School.
There was no evidence Jaeger hit any part of the bus, according to the report. A witness said Jaeger's brake lights had turned on but the car didn't stop until the crash. The report also said only internal video was available from the bus, which did not show the crash.
New Hopewell's principal, Sarah Mercer, sent a letter to parents after the incident, saying the child was in stable condition and recovering at home. You can read the full letter below:
"New Hopewell families,
I wanted to make you aware that one of our students was struck by a vehicle at a bus stop this morning. The student is in stable condition and recovering at home. We look forward to having this student back at school soon!
I am unable to share more information due to the privacy of our student, but please keep the student and family in your thoughts and prayers.
There are counselors available to provide additional support to any student who may need it. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you feel that this service is needed.
While this accident was not the fault of anyone in our school family, it is imperative that drivers pay particular attention in the mornings and afternoons at our designated bus stops. If a school bus stops and extends its stop sign arm, they are picking up or dropping off students who may be crossing the street.
Bus safety is a shared responsibility and I appreciate everyone’s attentiveness to this matter.
Thank you for your ongoing support! We have a wonderful school family!"