Driver charged after nearly hitting child exiting school bus

NEW BALTIMORE―A driver has been charged with felony reckless endangerment after police say he nearly hit a child getting off a school bus last week.

The incident happened around 3 p.m. on Friday, March 6 in front of a home on State Route 9W where a Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk school bus was stopped with its emergency lights activated and stop arm extended while conducting a student drop-off.

A 2015 Mazda SUV passed a vehicle that had stopped directly behind the school bus and then passed the bus on the right the shoulder of the road while the bus was actively dropping off an 11-year-old child, according to troopers.

“As the vehicle passed the bus, the child was exiting, and the Mazda was traveling directly toward the child. The 11-year-old was forced to run off the shoulder into a nearby driveway to avoid being struck,” State Police said.

The Mazda then fled the scene.

The following day, State Police identified the driver as Neal V. Daley, 51, of Poughkeepsie and charged him with first-degree reckless endangerment, a felony, as well as endangering the welfare of a child and reckless driving, both misdemeanors.

Daley was arraigned in the Town of Coxsackie Court and released on his own recognizance.