Fifteen-year-old Zachary Berent was treated and released from WakeMed with non-life-threatening injuries. He suffered a crushed vertebrae.
The driver who hit him told ABC11 she didn't see him in time.
"Horrible, horrible, I'm nervous. I'm torn up. It's the most horrible thing I've ever been through in my whole life," Angela McGee-Platt said.
McGee-Platt, 52, said she saw the stopped bus and slowed down, but decided to keep going when she only saw flashing lights and no stop arm extended.
"And then right there, I saw the kid, he walked right out into the road. It looked like he was looking at a phone or something. He never saw what happened," she said.
McGee-Platt said she stopped and rushed to Berent's side.
"I took my coat off and covered him, but his shoe had flown off … tried to wrap his foot up and tried to keep him as warm as possible" she said.
McGee-Platt said she has a grandchild around Berent's age, and she was heartbroken she hurt him.
"I'm so, so sorry this happened. I'm just horrified that this has happened. I don't think I'll ever get over it," she offered.
Authorities said the driver of the school bus and the victim and his family contradict McGee-Platt's account. They said the stop arm was extended at the time of the accident. His family also said the Zachary was not on the phone and didn't have a phone with him.
The North Carolina Highway Patrol said McGee-Platt was charged Thursday with felony passing a stopped school bus.
Her bond was set at $5,000.
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