Maine School Bus Involved in Fatal Student Incident to be Taken Out of Service

RSU 13 has officially decommissioned the school bus involved in the crash that killed a 12-year-old boy in Rockland last month.

WGME reported that Brayden Callahan, 12, died on Nov. 21 after he got off his school bus at the intersection of Eliza Steele Drive and Broadway and was then run over by the same bus. RSU 13 Superintendent John McDonald confirmed that Bus #9, the one involved in the fatal crash, has now been removed from service. Students who previously rode that route will be assigned a temporary bus and a substitute driver.

Officials have also confirmed that the bus driver behind the wheel during the incident has a prior crash history. A police report shows the driver hit a parked car in October of this year, and another report shows a similar crash involving a parked car in 2022.

Records also reveal the driver was convicted of operating under the influence (OUI) in 2015. As a result, the driver’s school bus operator endorsement was suspended for three years. WGME said that under Maine law, a driver can petition the Secretary of State to restore that endorsement after one year  but only with a recommendation from the school district’s superintendent.

The Secretary of State’s Office says it has no record of the endorsement itself, but the driver’s petition was approved, allowing him to return to operating a school bus.

Police say the driver is not suspected of being under the influence during the Nov. 21 crash.