A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in Standish, Maine, when a 5-year-old kindergarten student, Simon Gonzalez, lost his life after his arm became trapped in the closing doors of a school bus, leading to his fatal dragging. According to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the incident took place on December 16, 2025, around 8 a.m. near Edna Libby Elementary School on Route 35.

The school bus, operated by Maine School Administrative District 6 and driven by Lori Ann Merrifield, had made a stop to pick up students. After a 7-year-old successfully boarded, Gonzalez approached from the bus’s right rear just as the doors were beginning to close. Tragically, the young boy inserted his left arm between the doors, which then pinned it as the bus driver pulled away.

The NTSB’s report states that Gonzalez was dragged nearly 300 feet before his arm became dislodged, causing him to fall onto the road where the bus ran over him, leading to fatal injuries. Fortunately, no other injuries were reported. It was revealed that Gonzalez’s half-brother was also on board at the time of the incident.

This incident marks the second school bus-related fatality in Maine in less than a month, following the death of 12-year-old Brayden Callahan in Rockland on November 21, 2025. Gonzalez’s grandfather, Jason Small, remembered him as a vibrant child who “loved life” and was “always on the go.