Fatal Sussex school bus accident; no charges, citations issued
Records detail Sussex bus accident investigation
The Waukesha County Sheriff?s Department has completed its investigation into a school bus accident in Sussex that killed a 5-year-old boy in January, concluding no charges or citations will be issued.
SUSSEX, Wis. - The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department has completed its investigation into a school bus accident in Sussex that killed a 5-year-old boy in January, concluding no charges or citations will be issued.
What we know:
Investigators say Finn Katona fell beneath a school bus just as the driver began pulling away outside Silver Spring Intermediate School on Thursday, Jan. 2, the first day back from winter break.
An 86-page report found Katona accidentally stepped off the sidewalk, his backpack pulling him to the ground, and fell in front of the bus’s rear driver-side tire. The driver began to move forward almost simultaneously, and over the child’s body.
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The medical examiner determined Katona died of "craniocerebral injuries" and that the manner of death was "accidental."
Hamilton School District bus route changes after boy hit in parking lot
The Hamilton School District is making changes to its school bus routes after a boy was hit and killed in the parking lot in January.
Video showed the entire incident, which investigators said did not involve horseplay or other students.
The driver, who FOX6 News is not identifying, voluntarily provided a blood sample, sat for an interview and allowed deputies to review her cell phone. Investigators said neither drugs, alcohol nor phone use contributed to the accident.
Dig deeper:
The Waukesha County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Katona died of craniocerebral injuries and ruled the manner of death an accident.
The Hamilton School District declined to comment on the investigation’s conclusion.
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However, the district changed its policy a week after Katona’s death, removing its "bus buddy" system. The district added four buses to take 4K students directly to Willow Springs Learning Center.
Investigators noted that one of the assigned bus buddies was absent on the day of the accident.
The Source: The information in this post was produced from emails and other materials recovered after a FOX6 News open records request.