School bus driver arrested after dragging 5-year-old by door, police allege

Posted November 6, 2026 3:23 pm

2 min read

A school bus driver was arrested on Tuesday in Clinton, New York, after a five-year-old child was allegedly dragged along the road when their backpack got caught in the door, according to police.

“It was reported that Tasha Van Dayne, 37, of Clinton, was operating a 2023 full size IC-Bus for the Clinton Central School District on her afternoon route which stopped at the child’s residence and multiple children exited the bus,” the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Police said that Van Dayne closed the school bus door as the last child exited the bus and the backpack of the child became trapped in the bus doors.

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“The child was dragged a distance before the bus stopped. The child suffered minor injuries as a result of the incident. The investigation is currently ongoing,” police added.

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In an update, police announced the Van Dayne had turned herself in to deputies at the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office.

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Van Dayne was charged with second-degree reckless endangerment, the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

Clinton Central School District said in a news release Tuesday that the driver involved in this incident “will no longer be transporting students.”

“While we are relieved that the student did not sustain serious physical injuries, we recognize that this was a frightening and traumatic experience, not only for the student involved, but also for the children who were still on the bus and witnessed what occurred,” Clinton Central School District said in a statement.

“Today and in the days ahead, our school support team will be available to provide counseling and support as needed,” the statement added.

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The district said that the families of the students who were on the bus run were contacted to be made aware of the situation.

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“Out of respect for the privacy of the student and family, additional personal information will not be shared,” the district said. “The safety and well-being of our students are among our most important responsibilities, and we take an incident of this nature extremely seriously.”

Van Dayne is scheduled to appear in Kirkland Town Court on Nov. 16.