Bus incident involved plastic soda bottle

HARRISON — An Oxford Hills School District student threw a plastic soda bottle out of a school bus window Monday afternoon, prompting the driver of the struck car to try to board the bus once it stopped, a Cumberland County deputy said Tuesday.

"The passenger got out of the car, went up to the bus and he stepped on the bus to inform the bus driver," Deputy Steve Welch said. "Obviously, he was quite upset."

The incident unfolded at about 2:30 p.m. Monday on bus No. 6, which was carrying students from Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School and Oxford Hills Middle School, both in Paris, to their homes. The incident occurred on Route 117 in Harrison near Maplewood Road.

At least three students, two high school and one middle school, were involved in the incident in some form, and they are being disciplined, Superintendent Mark Eastman said. Disciplinary action likely will range from after-school detention to suspension from school, and even loss of bus-riding privileges, he said.

"We're doing some following up with the students involved and the driver, but John's assessment is the driver acted appropriately and on behalf of the students," said Eastman, referring to John Parsons, a grant writer in the central office who responded to the scene in lieu of Transportation Director Glenn Sirois, who is on medical leave.

"There was no criminal act whatsoever," Welch said of the motorist, whom he identified only as a male in his 30s from Denmark. "Rather than call the police, he felt it was necessary to inform the bus driver."

Parsons said all school personnel involved handled the situation appropriately. The bus driver radioed the bus garage officials, who contacted police. Both Cumberland County and Bridgton officers arrived at the scene within six or seven minutes of the call, Eastman said.

He said the bus driver followed protocol by telling the driver not to get on the bus. "When (the bus driver) opened the door, (the motorist) started to get on the bus. He withdrew and stood on the ground," Eastman said.

He said bus drivers get approached routinely by parents and guardians with questions, but rarely has anyone approached the bus angrily.

ldixon@sunjournal.com