Ventura bus driver sacked after schoolboy, 12, pulled 350m down Melbourne street

A Melbourne bus driver has been sacked after a 12-year-old boy was trapped in a bus door and dragged hundreds of metres along a suburban road.

The incident unfolded around 8am on March 16 in Wheelers Hill, in the city’s south-east, as the boy travelled to school.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Melbourne schoolboy trapped in bus door and dragged for hundreds of metres

Footage shared by the boy’s mother shows the moment the student became caught in the automatic doors, before being carried alongside the moving bus.

It is understood he was dragged for about 350 metres along Brandon Park Drive before the driver became aware and stopped.

A spokesperson for Ventura Bus Lines confirmed the driver involved no longer works for the company following an internal investigation.

“This is a very distressing incident, and we will continue to support the passenger and family at this time,” the spokesperson said.

“The safety of our passengers is our priority. We have emphasised our safety protocols with all drivers and will implement a review to enhance driver training programs.

“Following a full investigation into this incident and internal disciplinary procedures, the driver’s employment has been terminated.”

The boy, who had recently started Year 7, escaped serious physical injury, but his mother Grace Pan said he remains deeply affected.

Pan told 7NEWS her son survived by keeping his feet off the ground.

“Nathaniel did say when I passed the cars parked at the side, I would bring my feet in. If not, I would have hit the car,” she said.

“When he sees a bus pass by... he said my hands just shake uncontrollably, and to hear that, as a mum, would you not feel upset and like just also helpless?

“I don’t understand how there could not be a safety feature of their bus to identify that and alarm the bus driver.”

She described her son’s survival as nothing short of a miracle.

“He’s really, really lucky. Angels are really watching over him. There’s nothing short of a miracle,” she said.

Victorian Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams said the incident clearly hadn’t met safety expectations and confirmed the driver had been terminated.

“It clearly hasn’t met expectations of safety that we would expect from our operators, and Ventura have made that call themselves in standing down the driver,” she said.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan told ABC the footage was “shocking”.

“Every parent wants to make sure their child gets to school safely, and that footage was just a shocking incident,” she said.

“My thoughts are with that young boy and his family and carers, who are clearly distressed.”

She said the government was working to ensure further support is provided.

“I’ve asked the minister for the Transport Accident Commission, I’ve asked him to direct the TAC to reach out to the family to see what further support can be provided,” she said.

“It’s clearly had an impact; it will have an impact on him, so we want to reach out and support him and his family network.”

Victoria Police said it was aware of the incident, which was not initially reported, and inquiries are ongoing.