ROME, Ga. — Questions remain about how a 7-year-old boy ended up in a busy four-lane roadway before he was struck by a truck while trying to get to school in Rome.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The child, identified by family members as Aiden, remains hospitalized at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Scottish Rite Hospital. His family told Channel 2 Action News he is in a medically induced coma and has been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and multiple broken bones.
According to Rome police, the crash happened around 7 a.m. Friday on Chateau Drive.
Investigators said preliminary findings indicate the truck driver was not speeding and that Aiden was in the roadway when he was hit.
Newly obtained bus route records show Aiden’s school bus was scheduled to stop on Chateau Drive at 6:21 a.m., about 40 minutes before the crash.
The route shows the bus later loops back through the area on the opposite side of the street, but there is no designated stop at that location.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Metro Atlanta ‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’ campaign results in multiple arrests, citations
- Employee used Flock cameras to track ex-wife, metro Atlanta police department says
- Atlanta beltline fans call it ‘The Stairway To Nowhere
The Rome Police Department said witnesses told investigators that students who miss the bus at their regular stop sometimes cross the street and wait for the bus to return.
Rome City Schools said students are not allowed to board the bus in that situation and that the district follows guidance outlined in Addy’s Law.
The Georgia law is named after 8-year-old Adalynn Pierce, who was hit and killed while crossing the street to board her school bus in Henry County in 2024. The legislation encourages school districts to design bus routes that reduce the need for children to cross roadways to get on a bus.
Rome City School’s transportation policy also states that students who miss the bus should never walk to another bus stop. The policy further states that a parent or guardian must be present with children ages 8 and younger at bus stop pick-up and drop-off.
Aiden’s aunt told Channel 2 Action News that Aiden’s condition worsened overnight Thursday, but the family remains hopeful as he continues to fight for recovery.
The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover medical expenses, travel costs and household bills while Aiden’s parents remain at his bedside. (Fundraiser by Zhane Flowers : Standing with Aiden and His Family )
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]