ROCKLAND, Maine — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary findings after the death of a 12-year-old boy after being run over by a school bus in Rockland.
According to the NTSB, the RSU 13 school bus stopped at the intersection with Eliza Steele Drive and Broadway around 2:20 p.m. on November 21, 2025, to unload three student passengers. In front of where the bus stopped was a marked pedestrian crosswalk across the road.
According to the NTSB, 12-year-old Brayden Callahan was the last to exit the bus. When he got off the bus, he walked toward the front of the bus. As Callahan was at the front right corner of the bus, in the marked crosswalk, the bus began to move forward, hitting the boy.
Callahan fell to the ground and was run over by the bus. He died as a result of his injuries.
The crash occurred during daylight hours and the roadway was dry.
The bus driver and 19 student passengers on the bus were not hurt.
The crash remains under investigation.
The bus driver, 65-year-old Jeffrey Colburn, was arrested on Jan. 15 and charged with manslaughter. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Callahan’s family has since filed a $10 million lawsuit against the school district.