Investigators say the pickup driver remained at the scene and showed no signs of speeding or impairment after the collision.
ROME, Ga. — Rome police investigating a crash that left a 7-year-old boy in a medically induced coma say the pickup driver was not speeding or impaired when the child entered a wet roadway while trying to reach his school bus.
The Aug. 21 collision occurred shortly after 7 a.m. on Chateau Drive. Police said a Ford F-150 was traveling north when the child entered the roadway near the entrance to an apartment complex. The boy’s family said he was trying to catch his school bus, while police said he was running toward his older brother.
A Floyd County police officer happened to be traveling on the road when the crash occurred and was the first officer at the scene, according to Rome police. Other emergency crews responded, and the child was taken first to Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center before being flown to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite Hospital.
Investigators said the roadway was wet from storms that had passed through earlier in the morning. Police found no indication that the driver was speeding and said there were no signs of impairment. The driver stopped after the collision and has cooperated with the investigation.
Police have not publicly identified the driver. Based on the findings released so far, authorities have not announced criminal charges in connection with the crash. The Rome Police Department’s accident investigators have continued examining the incident.
The child’s family has publicly identified him as Aiden. A family fundraiser says he suffered a diffuse axonal injury, a type of traumatic brain injury, along with a serious ligament injury near the skull and neck. The fundraiser also lists fractures to his pelvis, ribs, collarbone and wrist.
Aiden remains in a medically induced coma at the Atlanta hospital, according to his family. The fundraiser says he has been intubated and will require surgery. Authorities have not released independent medical records, and detailed information about his treatment has come from relatives and fundraising organizers.
Initial local reports released shortly after the collision described Aiden as being in critical but stable condition. His continuing hospitalization became more widely reported nearly a week later as his family provided additional information about the extent of his injuries.
The crash occurred during the morning trip to school, but officials have not publicly identified the school bus route involved. Police also have not released additional details about the timing or location of the bus in relation to the collision beyond saying the child entered the roadway.
The Rome Police Department continues to investigate the crash. As of Friday, police had not announced charges against the pickup driver, and Aiden remained hospitalized in a medically induced coma while receiving treatment for his injuries.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 28, 2026.