Rockland police and the Knox County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the death of a 12-year-old boy who was struck and killed by a school bus late last week.
Rockland Police Chief Timothy Carroll said Monday afternoon that police are still interviewing witnesses and trying to piece together what happened.
The Press Herald is not identifying the driver because he has not been charged, but records show he was involved in a recent school bus crash and also has a decade-old charge for driving under the influence. He has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation, officials said.
Meanwhile, Regional School Unit 13 canceled classes on Monday and Tuesday to allow students and staff to mourn the death of Brayden Callahan. A GoFundMe site set up to help pay for his funeral expenses had raised more than $30,000 as of Monday.
Callahan was hit by the bus Friday afternoon at the intersection of Broadway and Eliza Steele Drive, Rockland police said. Emergency crews responded to the incident shortly before 2:30 p.m. and the boy was taken by a medical helicopter to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where he died from his injuries.
RSU 13 Superintendent John McDonald said in a letter to community members Sunday that schools would not be open for classes Monday and Tuesday. Instead, McDonald wrote, South School and Oceanside High School would be open to provide support and counseling for any students, family or staff members who may need it. The district’s other schools will be closed.
In his letter, McDonald asked parents and guardians to remind students that it’s OK to ask for help, and also referred to “concerning posts” on social media that might make students uneasy about returning to school. He said there will be an increased law enforcement presence at the two open schools this week, along with added personnel from neighboring districts.
McDonald did not respond Monday to questions about the district’s hiring practices or whether there were any past complaints against the driver.
The same driver was involved in a minor accident last month. According to an Oct. 9 crash report obtained by the Press Herald, the driver hit a parked car while driving an RSU 13 bus. The driver told police he didn’t realize how close the bus was to the car. There were no students on the bus at the time, and no drug or alcohol test was given.
The same individual was convicted of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol in 2015, for which he received a $500 fine and had his license suspended for 150 days.