Dumfries school bus driver runs over parent's foot; Parent charged

DUMFRIES, Va. - A bus carrying school children ran over a parent's foot in Dumfries Tuesday before driving off with the students still aboard. 

That parent is now facing several charges over the incident.

Just before 5 p.m., parents who live in the River Oaks community tell FOX 5 they were just trying to get their kids off the bus. But the driver would not let them. 

FOX 5 found out from the school district that the driver was a substitute and not the normal person who drops the students off from Covington-Harper Elementary School. 

There are two bus stops located on Chesapeake Drive: one is near the leasing office and the second is further down in the neighborhood. 

According to Prince William County police, a group of people got into a "verbal altercation" with the bus driver at the first stop. The substitute driver then closed the door on them. 

Police said a parent who had a student on the bus began knocking on the door several times, and attempted to open it. That's when, police said, the bus driver drove off while the parent was still holding onto the handle of the bus door.

During the ordeal, the bus driver ran over the parent's ankle. The parent involved is now being charged with attempted trespassing and disorderly conduct. 

One father FOX 5 spoke to said he doesn't understand why the parent is being charged. He said he would've done the same thing. 

"You're holding our kids' hostage at this point and all we want is our kids off the bus," said Raywood Mickles Jr., a local parent whose child rides the bus. "My kid is crying. My seven-year-old once he got home said ‘dad I thought I was being kidnapped.’ That's ridiculous. Something has to be done about this bus driver."

"For you to not stop for this gentleman that you just ran over, In my book that's hit-and-run leaving the scene of an accident," Mickles Jr. added. 

Mickles Jr.'s sons, Jordan and Jonah, were on the bus during the time of the incident. Jordan, 8, told FOX 5 kids were in tears and confused why the bus driver wouldn't let them off the bus. 

"They were practically screaming. They were crying," Jordan said. "I didn't start tearing up 'till I started kicking the window."

"I don't want to get back on the bus that she was driving," Jonah said. 

Tonight, parents are calling for transparency from the school district. 

In a letter from the school principal sent to parents, Covington-Harper Elementary School addressed parents being upset, but mentioned out of safety the bus driver took the kids back to the school. But the letter doesn't acknowledge that a parent's lower leg was run over as the bus driver drove off. 

In that same letter to parents, the school said the substitute asked to see ID before letting students off the bus, but the father FOX 5 spoke to says since the beginning of the year he's never been asked to show ID. 

The school did confirm that parents of kindergartners are required to show ID. 

FOX 5 reached out to the school district about the status of the substitute driver, and they aren't able to provide us with that information at the moment.