Caught on video: Schools superintendent hits student with his car
By Jenna Rae
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FARMINGTON, Missouri (KMOV) — A dangerous moment of impact was seen and heard on camera. A video that’s caused a stir on social media shows a 12-year-old boy being hit by a car while riding his bike in his neighborhood. The driver turns out to be the local school district’s superintendent.
The boy’s mother said she’s heard nothing from the superintendent since the accident and said she believes it’s being swept under the rug.
“It’s disgusting. I mean, it really is,” the victim’s mother said.
It was just another Tuesday for Nathan and his friends. His mother, who talked only to News 4, wished to remain anonymous.
“We ride almost every day when we get the chance to,” Stevie DeBold said.
DeBold’s been friends with Nathan for years. Last Tuesday, Ring doorbell camera footage shows the pre-teens riding their bikes until a car comes into the frame, hitting Nathan.
“I was freaking out,” DeBold said.
“His friend came running in the house that he had gotten hit by a car, and I jumped up and just ran,” the victim’s mother explained.
In the video, you see the white Jeep hit Nathan on his bike, stop, then the driver gets out. Farmington police confirmed the driver was Farmington R-7 Schools Superintendent Matt Ruble.
“Mr. Ruble said he wasn’t worried about his car, he would replace the bike, ‘Is my son okay’?” I looked at Nathan and said ‘Are you okay? Are you okay?’ I said ‘Nathan can you walk? We’re going to the hospital.’ And that was the extent of the conversation,” the victim’s mother said.
Nathan’s mother said she went to file a police report with Farmington police the next day but was told her son was in the wrong.
“I decided to seek legal counsel, who then initially told me to go back and force them to file a police report,” the victim’s mother added.
Farmington Police Chief Rick Baker, who didn’t want to go on camera, said there was a report filed and News 4 can obtain that report later this week. He also said Nathan failed to stop at the stop sign and no charges are being filed.
“I don’t feel like they’ve handled it properly because if they did, they would’ve taken a written statement, and the pictures we had of my son at the hospital, they would’ve contacted the children who were playing with him, and not leave it so one-sided,” the victim’s mom said.
News 4 called Farmington schools to speak with Ruble, but never heard back from the school.
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