Boy struck by car near Stillwater bus stop, mother calls for accountability

An 8-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after being struck by a car near his bus stop on Monday morning.

Now his mother, Vada Langley, is now demanding accountability for the incident, which has left her son with severe injuries.

According to Stillwater, the accident occurred when Isyk Ridgeway was crossing South Jardot Road to get on his school bus. Witnesses say the bus had just arrived when he was hit by an 18-year-old driver in the southbound lanes.

Kendra Wells was with her children getting ready to cross when it happened.

“He was in the middle of the road, trying to get to the bus stop,” Wells’ daughter said.

"Backpack flying everywhere, water bottle, paper everywhere,” said Wells’ son. “He was scared and crying."

“I looked over and I just heard screaming,” Wells said, as she ran to respond.

“Thank God for her, she was holding my baby,” Langley said. "Cars were just going around him, people were continuing to drive like my child wasn't in the middle of the road, hit by a vehicle."

Isyk was flown to Stillwater Medical Center, suffering a broken femur and growth plate injury.

“My 8-year-old has three rods sticking outside of his leg right now because of this,” Langley said. “That's a tremendous injury.”

Police reports indicate that the driver, an 18-year-old, was not at fault in the incident. The report also notes a city ordinance that requires pedestrians to yield to vehicles when crossing a roadway that isn't an intersection or marked crosswalk.

According to Stillwater Public Schools, bus videos show the boy was struck while crossing behind the still-moving bus, and the bus’s stop signal and stop sign were not yet activated at the time.

“I feel like nobody is doing my son any justice,” said Langley. “At the end of the day, everybody's trying to blame my child and I’m not willing to accept that, we're not blaming my son for this.”

While Isyk's condition is improving, he still faces weeks of recovery ahead.

"When Isyk was about two years old, I nicknamed him 'Tough,' and he’s definitely living up to that," Langley said.

Langley is now considering legal action. She plans to meet with an attorney.

On Wednesday, Stillwater Public Schools released the following statement:

STATEMENT: In response to a Monday, January 13 pedestrian-vehicle collision (Stillwater, Oklahoma, January 15, 2025) This statement is being issued to add clarity and provide accurate information regarding a traffic accident that occurred in Stillwater on Monday morning and to address rumors circulating around this incident. As documented through bus videos that the district is sharing with the Stillwater Police Department:

7:17:15 Bus 35 was traveling north on Jardot (this bus does not and did not stop at the bus stop for pick up)

7:17:25 A child can be seen crossing the road from west to east behind the still-moving bus.

7:17:25 a southbound vehicle enters the frame.

7:17:26 While obscured in the video by bus window railings, it appears that the southbound vehicle collides with the child around the driver's side headlight in the southbound lane.

7:17:28 Bus 35 pulls to the side of the road, fully stopping at 7:17:42.

7:17:43 Driver of Bus 35 radios dispatch.

7:18:15 Northbound Bus 4 approaches the site of the accident and the bus stop and slows. Adults are seen attending to the child, now on the east side shoulder.

7:18:35 An adult hails the bus with shouts of “Hey.”

7:18:38 The bus completely stops. The driver and adult converse briefly.

7:18:48 The driver of bus 04 radios dispatch requesting police and ambulance

7:19:38 After ensuring the child was being attended to, the bus pulls forward to the bus stop

7:20:00 The bus loads children and continues the route

To be clear, no bus was involved in the collision. The accident did not occur at or during a bus stop, therefore no bus signals were engaged during the time of the collision. The southbound driver did not ignore bus signals. Despite claims on social media, at no point did any bus swerve around any person. It is unfortunate that community speculation, supposition, and falsehoods have mischaracterized the incident and the reputation of our bus drivers. Our bus drivers did exactly as they are trained to do, and we are proud of their reporting of the accident and their commitment to transporting students to school safely.

Additionally, we thank police and ambulance services for a quick response by first responders to the accident and appreciate the communication with the Stillwater Police Department about this incident and our ongoing safety partnership. The district would like to remind the entire community that, in addition to our students, Stillwater’s bike lanes, crosswalks, and OSU’s transit system mean our community has a large number of pedestrians. Please remember we all have a great responsibility to help keep pedestrians safe.

Here are a few tips to help ensure students are safe at bus stops:

Arrive Early: Allow time to arrive by walking to the stop at least 5 minutes before the scheduled stop time.

Stay Visible: Wear bright clothing and stand where drivers can see you.

Stay Alert: Even when just standing at the stop, keep devices away and be alert to vehicles approaching

Cross carefully: If you have to cross the street at the bus stop, wait for the bus to arrive and deploy stop signs, wait for the driver to signal that it is okay to cross.

Buddy Up: Have a parent or older sibling wait with younger children if possible. Remind students to watch out for the safety of their peers.

Board Safely: Stay back from the curb, look both ways, and wait for the bus to stop completely.

And some reminders for drivers:

Be Alert: Watch for children, college students, and pedestrians crossing unexpectedly.

Slow Down: Stick to speed limits, especially in school zones and near campuses.

Respect Buses: Stop for buses with extended stop signs and give them space.

Avoid Distractions: Stay off your phone and focus fully on driving.

Use Lights: Turn on headlights in low visibility or early dawn.

Mind Road Conditions: Be mindful of slick spots, fog, hills and water.

Let’s all work together to make sure children are safe while traveling to school. Our hearts go out to the student injured in this unfortunate incident. We wish them the best and can’t wait to welcome them back to school."