SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — A South Portland student is out of the hospital after he was dragged for a half-mile by a car Monday.
The middle school-aged boy was being dropped off at home by his classmate’s sister, according to officials.
The boy’s thumb then got closed in the door, and when the car drove off he was dragged for about a half-mile down Highland Avenue between Scamman and Stillman Streets.
Although the boy had been yelling, police say a witness alerted the driver to stop the car.
The boy was not run over by the car, but did suffer some serious road rash and was transported to Maine Medical Center.
Heavy rain may have prevented the driver from hearing the boy’s shouting, police said.
“We’re just asking people to be a little more cautious,” South Portland Police Chief Daniel Ahern said. “You know and take a little more time. They have to look around their vehicle and maybe make sure somebody gets inside when you drop them off, so they’re not locked out in the rain. That maybe would’ve helped in this situation. But everyone just needs to be a little more cautious.”
The circumstances of the boy’s injury remain under investigation, but there are not expected to be any criminal charges issued.