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Student seriously injured after school bus hits bicycle
A 16-year-old boy is recovering after being hit by a school bus while biking home from Clear Lake High School. His mother urges helmet safety as the community rallies to support him during his recovery.
HOUSTON - A 16-year-old Clear Lake High School student remains hospitalized after Houston police say a school bus hit him while he was riding his bicycle outside the school on Oct. 16.
What we know:
Jakxon Kessler’s mother, Brandie Kessler, says her son was riding home from school when the bus struck him and dragged him about 30 feet.
Jakxon Kessler
Houston police say the crash happened around 2:45 p.m. outside Clear Lake High School along Bay Area Boulevard near Krueger Way as the bus driver was pulling out of the school parking lot.
Clear Creek ISD says the bus was leaving campus during afternoon dismissal.
"He was riding his bike home from school like he does every single day," Kessler said.
According to his mother, Jakxon became caught in the bus’s wheel as well as the driver turned onto the road, and he was dragged about 30 feet.
Dig deeper:
School and emergency personnel responded. Kessler says her son was taken to UTMB Health Clear Lake Hospital with several serious injuries.
She says Jakxon suffered multiple spinal fractures requiring spinal fusion surgery, two broken shoulder blades, a broken tailbone, a broken toe and internal injuries. His right ear was also partially torn off and repaired in the emergency room, she said.
Kessler says she is grateful her son was wearing a helmet and believes it saved his life.
"When I got to the scene, I happened to see his helmet," she said. "It looks like if somebody took an eggshell and just crushed it in their hand and dropped it on the ground."
She described the helmet as being in pieces.
"It was very, very scary to see that," she said.
Now, Kessler is urging other parents to make sure their children wear helmets every time they ride.
"It doesn’t matter how old they are," she said. "They need to have a helmet on."
What's next:
Jakxon is a junior at Clear Lake High School.
Clear Creek ISD says it has been in contact with his family and hopes he makes a full recovery.
Kessler says the community has rallied around her son, including donating to a fundraiser to help with his recovery.
Houston police are investigating the crash.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 26's Jillian Hartmann.