LAKELAND, TN (abc24.com) - A 13-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital after he was hit by an SUV as he was about to board a school bus.
The accident occurred on January 11, 2012, just after 8:00 am on Canada Road just south of Maple Point Cove. Investigators with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office determined that a school bus had stopped in front of an address on the southbound side of the 4100 block of Canada Road to pick up the hearing impaired student.
The driver activated the red lights and stop sign, and the boy left his driveway to board the bus. That's when he was struck by the passenger side mirror of a Jeep Cherokee driven by 18-year-old Brandon Banks of Lakeland.
The driver stated he was traveling to school, was distracted and he did not see the bus or the flashing lights at the time of the accident. The victim suffered injuries to his head and was transported by ambulance to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. The victim was last reported in critical but stable condition.
Banks was charged with Failure to Maintain Control and Safe Lookout along with Overtaking and passing a school bus. Investigators added that alcohol and speed were not factors in the accident.
