Schoolboy, 12, dragged beside bus for 350m after becoming caught in door at Wheelers Hill

A schoolboy has been dragged beside a moving bus after becoming trapped in a closing door in Victoria.

Nathaniel was getting off a public bus he catches to high school at Wheelers Hill in Melbourne last month when the driver unknowingly closed the back door before the 12-year-old boy was fully out.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Boy dragged 350m by Melbourne bus

Nathaniel, who had only been taking the bus independently to school for two months, had one of his arms and his backpack caught in the door and was dragged over 350m along Brandon Park Dr.

He was forced to grip a safety railing inside the bus and bring his knees to his chest to avoid his legs dragging along the road, narrowly missing hitting parked cars as the bus drove by.

As the bus was nearing the next stop, the driver noticed Nathaniel caught on the door and pulled over.

The boy’s distraught mother shared video of the incident captured by multiple CCTV cameras, showing her son trapped and dragged along by the bus.

“It is a miracle Nathaniel was able to walk away uninjured,” his mother said in the video.

“However, he now suffers from anxiety and no longer feels confident to catch the bus alone

“He’s seeing a psychologist to help him process his trauma”

His mother said her support from the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), a government organisation that provides insurance to people injured in transport accidents, was limited to them paying for the out-of-pocket expenses for Nathaniel’s psychologist appointments.

She also said she was not entitled to any support from Ventura Bus Lines, who own and operate the public bus that trapped Nathaniel.

“There have been no acknowledgement of the safety failures identified, no commitment to improve operational procedures or safety training, no review of their technology and equipment and zero incident transparency,” she said.

“No child should ever be put in such danger on public transport especially now the Victorian government’s free youth Myki which encourages more children under the age of 18 to travel independently every single day.”

Ventura Bus Lines has been contacted for comment.