A man has been arrested after a Vilonia School District student was hit by a vehicle while attempting to approach a school bus, the Faulkner County sheriff's office said Monday.
Christopher Severns, 35, of Enola was arrested after deputies were dispatched to Sunny Gap Road in response to a vehicle striking a pedestrian child before boarding the school bus just before 7:15 a.m., the sheriff's office said in a news release Monday afternoon.
The student was taken by an ambulance and the extent of their injuries is unknown, Vilonia School District said in a post on Facebook just before 9:45 a.m.
Information about the identity of the student was not immediately released.
"All students being transported by the bus, at the time of the accident, safely arrived at school," the post said.
The post stated that support staff is in place to address the needs of students after the accident.
The car did not yield to the red lights or the stop sign on the bus, the post stated.
The sheriff's office said Severns has been charged with reckless driving and passing a stopped school bus. Additional charges against him are pending investigation.
The release stated that Severns was later released on court ordered bond pending additional court appearances.
The online inmate roster for Faulkner County showed that Severns was booked around 11 a.m. and released at noon.
The sheriff's office said that residents should slow down in school zones and around school buses, and never attempt to pass a stopped school bus.
"We must all work together to ensure our children can board school buses and be transported to school safely each morning," the release said. "No parent should ever have to worry about the safety of their child while loading a school bus or attending classes."
The investigation is ongoing.