Lancaster County bus driver bit by dog while shielding students

A Lancaster County school bus driver was bitten by a dog Wednesday morning while trying to protect high school students, according to officials.

Bryan Vaughn, safety and transportation director for Lancaster County School District, said the bus driver was picking up high school students for Lancaster High School and pulled up to a house on J.B. Denton Road.

Doug Barfield of the Lancaster Sheriff’s Office said a girl was waiting at the stop and a neighbor was outside with his dog on a leash at about 7:30 a.m.

Barfield said the dogbroke free from its restraint and ran at the girl waiting for the bus.

Vaughn said the girl screamed, hit the dog with her backpack and jumped on the bus.

The bus driver closed the door behind her, but the dog was able to get inside through a hole near the bottom, Vaughn said.

The driver blocked the aisle and was bit on the elbow, Vaughn said.

“Our bus driver who is in her first year did an excellent job in protecting our students,” Vaughn said in a Facebook post. “We appreciate her quick response. This event places emphasis on the many hidden dangers that drivers encounter every day and the importance of their jobs.”

Barfield said the dog’s owner was able to pull the dog off the bus after it nipped the driver. He said the driver’s injury was superficial and the dog was up to date on all shots.

The dog has been relinquished to the animal shelter, Barfield said.

This story was originally published November 29, 2017 at 2:09 PM with the headline "Lancaster County bus driver bit by dog while shielding students."