This is less than two months after Hillcrest High School student Kimberly Armstrong was critically injured by a car while walking to school. Collier wasn't critically injured, like Kimberly Armstrong, but he did suffer a broken collar bone.

Aaron Collier's father, Scott Collier, says he feared this would happen. Now, he's asking the school to change its policies.

"We've seen the things in the news where these kids have been hit and it's just been catastrophic in many respects," says Collier. "We were just very lucky - very, very fortunate - because it could have been so much worse given the circumstances."

It's a crash his dad says never should have happened, because his son is autistic.

"Kids with that disorder tend to be distracted," says Collier. "We did express concern about him making his way back and forth based on his diagnosis."

Since the Collier's live less than three miles from the school, Aaron can't take the bus. Because of hectic work schedules, the Colliers can't drive their son to school. Collier asked the school to make an exception, but it said it couldn't.

"I can't break a board policy to provide a service for somebody," says Charlie Ott, the Transportation Director for Springfield Public Schools.

The school district says it can't comment specifically on Collier's case, because of privacy concerns, but says exceptions are made in certain cases. Decisions are made based on an individual student's circumstances.

"Special education students, based on their disability, sometimes qualify for transportation as a related service," says Ott.

That wasn't the case for Aaron collier.

"The circumstances that he had to be riding the bicycle is what really upset me," says Collier.

"We're required to pretty much adhere to those policies," says Ott.

"I don't hold any animosity toward the school board, the school district," says Collier.

Collier understands budget concerns are always an issue, but says those policies should change, especially considering what he feared could happen did happen.

The following information is from Springfield Public Schools, explaining how it determines if a disabled student is eligible for transportation:

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires a student’s Individual Education Program (IEP) to address whether there is a need for transportation as a related service as part of a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). Related services under IDEA are services required to assist a student with a disability in benefiting from special education. The IEP team must consider how the student's disability affects their need for transportation. If a student with a disability is able to access the same transportation provided to nondisabled students, or they can get to and from school in the same manner as nondisabled students, transportation would not be required for them to access special education services. If the student’s IEP team determines transportation is a related service, the IEP team then determines what services, supports and/or accommodations would be needed during transportation.

Contact: dmagditch@kspr.com