A boy of seven is in intensive care after his school driver bus ran him over. Clarence Gysman of Breidbach Primary School was run over by the Mercedes-Benz Vito on Wednesday morning in front of the school gate, apparently while he was playing behind the parked school taxi.
Clarence, a Grade 1 pupil from Happy Valley, a village in King William’s Town 7km from the school, has a broken pelvis and leg, and damaged lungs.
He is in Frere Hospital.
Principal Ivan Harry said the incident happened just after 7am.
“I was in the office when a group of pupils came running shouting to me to call the police and the ambulance because there had been an accident.
“While I was busy calling I sent one of the teachers to check.
“During that time an off-duty paramedic arrived at the scene to give medical assistance.
“One of the teachers then rushed the pupil to Grey Hospital .”
Harry was busy compiling a report yesterday to the department of education.
He said the accident happened after the driver, who had already dropped the pupils off, had parked outside the school and handed in the keys pending the afternoon transport shift as he did every morning.
“But then he realised the vehicle had a flat tyre and came back to fetch the key.
“When the incident happened, the driver was on his way to put air in the flat tyre. He reversed into the pupil who was playing behind it,” said Harry.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday outside the Frere, Clarence’s mother Ellen Gysman and his grandmother Betty Draghoender said they were deeply hurt about the incident.
“It breaks my heart to see my son so weak and helpless under drips and pipes,” said Gysman.
The mother of two said when she got the call from the school she thought her son had been in an accident.
“He uses the scholar transport to get to and from school, so I thought the vehicle had been in accident.
“When I got to the school he had already been taken to hospital. I was told that the vehicle drove over him.”
When the Dispatch arrived at the school yesterday, the Vito was parked outside.
The spokesman for the department of transport, Ncedo Kumbaca, confirmed the owner was contracted by the department.
“The operator claims that he ushered all the pupils into the school, ensuring that they were inside the school and he did not notice the pupil playing behind the vehicle.
“We view this as an unfortunate incident and we call upon our service providers to be extra cautious.
“We also request parents and educators to monitor the pupils,” said Kumbaca. Police spokeswoman Siphokazi Mawisa said a case of reckless and negligent driving was opened and being investigated.
School’s bus driver reverses over child
Clarence, a Grade 1 pupil from Happy Valley, a village in King William’s Town 7km from the school, has a broken pelvis and leg, and damaged lungs.
He is in Frere Hospital.
Principal Ivan Harry said the incident happened just after 7am.
“I was in the office when a group of pupils came running shouting to me to call the police and the ambulance because there had been an accident.
“While I was busy calling I sent one of the teachers to check.
“During that time an off-duty paramedic arrived at the scene to give medical assistance.
“One of the teachers then rushed the pupil to Grey Hospital .”
Harry was busy compiling a report yesterday to the department of education.
He said the accident happened after the driver, who had already dropped the pupils off, had parked outside the school and handed in the keys pending the afternoon transport shift as he did every morning.
“But then he realised the vehicle had a flat tyre and came back to fetch the key.
“When the incident happened, the driver was on his way to put air in the flat tyre. He reversed into the pupil who was playing behind it,” said Harry.
Speaking to the Daily Dispatch yesterday outside the Frere, Clarence’s mother Ellen Gysman and his grandmother Betty Draghoender said they were deeply hurt about the incident.
“It breaks my heart to see my son so weak and helpless under drips and pipes,” said Gysman.
The mother of two said when she got the call from the school she thought her son had been in an accident.
“He uses the scholar transport to get to and from school, so I thought the vehicle had been in accident.
“When I got to the school he had already been taken to hospital. I was told that the vehicle drove over him.”
When the Dispatch arrived at the school yesterday, the Vito was parked outside.
The spokesman for the department of transport, Ncedo Kumbaca, confirmed the owner was contracted by the department.
“The operator claims that he ushered all the pupils into the school, ensuring that they were inside the school and he did not notice the pupil playing behind the vehicle.
“We view this as an unfortunate incident and we call upon our service providers to be extra cautious.
“We also request parents and educators to monitor the pupils,” said Kumbaca. Police spokeswoman Siphokazi Mawisa said a case of reckless and negligent driving was opened and being investigated.
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