ROME, Ga. — A 7-year-old boy who was seriously injured after being hit by a truck while trying to get to his school bus has been moved to the rehabilitation floor of the hospital, according to an update from his mother.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Aiden’s mother shared the update on Facebook, saying her son is now undergoing physical, occupational and speech therapy Monday through Saturday.
She said Aiden is slowly talking more and remembers people and details including his colors, numbers, birthday and city. She also said he can move his feet one at a time while a therapist helps support him for balance.
“Talking and walking will be a long journey,” his mother wrote.
She said Aiden has been laughing in recent days and can speak when he needs to, although he sometimes communicates with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.
“We still have a long road ahead, but Aiden is here, he is fighting, and he is making progress every single day,” his mother wrote.
The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover medical expenses, travel costs and household bills.
Aiden was hit by a truck on Chateau Drive in Rome on Aug. 21. His family previously told Channel 2 Action News that he was placed in a medically induced coma and suffered a traumatic brain injury and multiple broken bones.
According to Rome police, the crash happened around 7 a.m. that 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.
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 Schools’ 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.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2026 Cox Media Group
