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Officials: 8-year-old hit by car at bus stop in Catawba County

By Paige Hansen
By Paige Hansen

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — An 8-year-old boy is recovering after being hit by a car while trying to cross the street to catch his bus to school in Maiden on Monday. 

East Main Street is the busiest street in Maiden's small town and every day, neighbors said it is the route for multiple Catawba County School buses.

"There's a lot of kids in town that catch the bus here on Main Street.  There's a lot of bus traffic," SAID Kathy Davis, who lives on East Main. 

Police said the bus had on its warning lights, but had not yet extended its stop arm or activated its red lights, two things that signal traffic to stop.

As the bus stopped in one direction, a woman driving a Chevy Malibu in the opposite direction hit the 8-year-old as he crossed.

"We've always worried because I think people get so used to the buses coming up and down they're not really thinking," Davis said. "They stop so often, I don't know if they're in a hurry or don't realize the bus, when you see those lights, you need to stop."

Davis also lives next door to the family of the little boy who was hit and she says she knows him well.

"He's just one of the sweetest little boys I think I've ever met," Davis said.

Channel 9 spoke to the woman who called 911 after witnessing the accident on her way to work. She didn't want to be identified but said she rushed to the boys' side to help.

"The side of his jaw was swollen really big, there was blood coming out of his mouth," the woman said. 

The child was taken to CMC-Lincoln before being airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center - Main in Charlotte for emergency treatment. 

So far no charges have been filed against the driver.  Police are still investigating and interviewing witnesses. 

It is unclear how badly the boy was injured. 

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