Last month, a string of bus accidents and several deaths in the metro area all involved Regional Transportation District buses. It seems the sort of tragedy that could never occur with a trusty, yellow school bus.

But a 12-year-old boy, Diego Lemos, was whisked into surgery on Friday for severe injuries to his pelvis, leg, and foot after he was caught under the wheel of a school bus he was trying to catch, according to The Denver Post.

On Saturday, the Westgate Elementary School fifth-grader remained in critical condition following the accident on the West Hampden Avenue Frontage Road and South Depew Street. Lemos, it seems, was late for his bus and running after it, pounding on the back of the bus before he fell under the wheel. No decision has been made as to whether a ticket or charges will be filed against the bus driver, according to weekend reports.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated story, the Douglas County School District is set to charge students 50 cents each way for riding buses to and from school, according to the Highlands Ranch Herald. The bus fee and other new fees are expected to generate as much as $3.8 million for the cash-strapped school district.