A young Abbotsford boy has a long recovery ahead of him after being struck by a school bus in front of his home.
Seven-year-old Gurtaj was struck Oct. 6, and the incident became public when video was shared on social media.
The young student at Khalsa School Mission was run over after being dropped off. An investigation was launched, the Sikh independent school said, and the driver's contract was terminated.
Video shows the boy being run over as he crosses in front of the bus, then the vehicle is seen driving off, out of frame.
A neighbour heard the commotion and saw Gurtaj lying in the middle of the street.
"I sat beside him and held his hand and tried to get him to stop moving," Bryana McDermott told CTV News Monday.
"He was yelling for his mom, obviously."
The boy's aunt said he remains in hospital with a broken pelvis.
"It's a really bad injury, and he had some major stomach bleeding," Rupinder Gill said. His family set up an online fundraiser so his parents can take time off work to spend with the boy as he recovers.
The family said the woman who'd been behind the wheel of the bus at the time owns a driving school and works as an instructor. CTV News went to the address associated with the business, but were told the owner wasn't there.
Over the phone, a woman who identified herself as the owner said: "My feeling is not good. I'm in so much stress, I cannot talk too much."
Police are looking into the case and said they expect their investigation to last two or three weeks.
In the meantime, area residents like McDermott are keeping a close eye on their own children.
"This street can be pretty dangerous with people speeding up and down on it, but the last thing I ever thought is that a school bus would hit a kid," she said.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Breanna Karstens-Smith