Teen Critically Hurt After Being Run Over By Bus
POMPANO (CBSMiami) – A South Florida teenager is in critical condition Friday after being struck by a Broward County Transit Bus that he was trying to catch in Pompano Beach while on his way to school.
Witnesses were horrified by what they saw on the 1200 block of East Sample Road.
"I saw the kid, the kid was trying to get on the bus," said witness Brian Clark who broke down crying. "Everybody on the bus was screaming 'stop, stop, stop.' I saw the kid going to get on the bus. From his elbow down, his hand was inside the bus and I just saw the hand and the kid was running sideways trying to keep up with the bus then the kid went under the bus."
Surveillance video shows from a nearby business shows the Jerry Cunningham, 14, scrambling to catch the bus. Moments later you see his horrified mother running after the bus after witnessing her son run over.
Cunningham was on his way to school where he attends Crystal Lakes Middle. His school principal arrived on scene and went with him to the hospital.
He was transported to Broward Health North, stabilized, and then was airlifted to Broward Health Medical Center.
BSO investigators questioned the bus driver, passengers and the child's parents. The bus driver is identified as Reinaldo Soto, a veteran of Broward transit since 2002.
We tried to ask Soto what happened, but a family member said he wasn't giving any statements.
Lyonel Fils, who lives next door to Cunningham's house in Pompano, says he saw the mother and son walking down the street every morning. "Everyday she walked. Everyday she walked her son to school," he said, adding, "I don't know whether she take the bus or not but every morning I see them." Fils said he was sad to hear what happened to his neighbor.
Cunningham's parents left the hospital in a BSO patrol car, declining to talk about what happened.
Due to the severity of the Cunninghams's injuries, BSO traffic homicide detectives were called to investigate.
"Very, very seriously injured," said BSO's Dani Moschella. "Right now, the Broward Sheriff's Office traffic homicide detectives are on the scene trying to put the pieces together and figure out exactly what happened and why this young man ended up falling off the bus and being run over."
