Police: Intoxicated driver hit child near school bus in Chesterfield

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. - A drug-impaired driver struck a 9-year-old child Wednesday while attempting to illegally pass a school bus in Chesterfield, police say.

The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has charged Dante Devitto, 35, with one count of DWI (causing serious physical injury) and one count of leaving the scene of an accident in connection with the crash.

According to a news release from the City of Chesterfield, the collision happened on Schoettler Road when the driver "tried to improperly pass a school bus" and seriously injured a 9-year-old on the way home from school.

Officers from the Chesterfield Police Department then responded to the scene to provide aid to the victim, and the suspect, later identified as Devitto, was found a short distance away.

According to the City of Chesterfield, "an investigation determined the driver was intoxicated by drugs," and Devitto was promptly arrested.

According to a probable cause statement from the Chesterfield Police Department, the victim suffered a fractured elbow and a concussion, among other injuries.

The probable cause statement adds that Devitto showed signs of impairment, admitted to using drugs prior to the crash and told police he was unaware he had hit anyone prior to his arrest.

Devitto was booked into jail in St. Louis County on a $250,000 bond, according to Missouri court records.