A 14-year-old boy was arrested Friday for allegedly tipping over a Wilmington port-a-potty more than four years ago. As a result of the tipping, a 43-year-old New Castle bus driver was partially paralyzed.
On June 23, 2006, DART bus driver Pedro Toala was inside a portable toilet on the 200 block of N. Adams Street (near I-95) when he heard what sounded like teens laughing outside, according to Wilmington Police.
When the laughter stopped, the port-a-potty was pushed over with Toala inside -- he landed on the ground inside the portable toilet and felt a pain in his neck.
Police were called to the scene to find the victim unable to move or feel his lower extremities. He was taken to Christiana Hospital where it was determined that he suffered a fractured vertebra in his back and was permanently paralyzed from his mid chest down leaving him as a paraplegic.
The Wilmington boy, who was 10 at the time of the incident, faces first-degree assault and second-degree conspiracy charges.
It wasn’t clear how police caught the teen or if anyone else was involved. The investigation remains open, cops said.
As for Toala, the community came together to help his family pay for medical expenses.
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