The 16-year-old student was injured when 42-year-old Bernard Luetjen, of Hartford, backed into her as the teen was getting out of a parent’s vehicle at the school at the beginning of the school day on Wednesday, Dec. 5, according to officials.
The student was not pinned for long and her injuries were not life-threatening, according to police. She was taken to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.
After the incident happened, Supt. David Petrone, of Coventry Public Schools, said the newspaper delivery driver was bringing newspapers for the library. Investigators said the driver was backing out in the wrong direction when he hit the girl.
"She exited the car and went around to the back and at that time another vehicle had backed up and she kind of got crushed between the two vehicles," explained Coventry Police Detective Jeffrey Spadjinske.
Luetjen turned himself in on Tuesday and has been charged with reckless driving and unsafe backing. He was released on a promise to appear.
