Bikers show support for GC elementary student after bus-stop injury

By Cara L. Dempski

GLENWOOD CITY — If you ask Peyton Miller’s uncle, Tom Matoska, there is no question over how the five-year-old boy was injured while waiting at a Glenwood City bus stop for his ride to school last week.

“A kid that trips and falls, he might have something on his hands, his knees,” Matoska said. “They were on plain concrete. It doesn’t take a PhD to look at his mouth and figure out what happened.”

Instead, Peyton had no wounds on his hands or knees, and reported to his father, Luke Miller, that he had been pushed to the ground and kicked, sustaining a wound on his left upper lip requiring stitches, and injuries to his teeth and gums that may require other care.

On October 23, bikers representing four charitable organizations showed up at Glenwood City Elementary to support Miller just one week after he, and his family, allege the boy was attacked while waiting for the bus the morning of October 16.

Luke Miller said Peyton went to the bus stop with his 10-year-old sister October 16, and came back approximately 15 minutes later. Luke Miller said he was surprised to see his son bleeding heavily from his upper lip.

After taking Peyton to the clinic for three stitches to seal the wound inside and out, Miller and Matoska went to the Glenwood City police department to ask police chief Robert Darwin to accompany them to the school to talk to administrative staff.

Both men say school officials suggested Peyton was likely fooling around at the stop, fell, and injured himself that way. Both Matoska and Miller say Peyton told him someone pushed him and kicked him. However, district administrators informed the duo the school could not do anything about the incident because it did not occur on school property.

Darwin likewise completed a brief investigation into the incident, but determined the injury was likely the result of a fall as well.

Luke Miller does not believe that is the case.

“With the damage to his lip and face, it was obvious there was somebody else involved,” he said October 23. “We later found out there was somebody else involved, and he (Peyton) was pushed and kicked and stuff like that while he was on the ground.”

While Miller understands there was no proof at the time he, Matoska and Darwin went to the school, he feels the incident could have been investigated with greater depth. He indicated one of the family’s neighbors was on her porch drinking coffee when Peyton was injured, and filed a report with the Glenwood City Police Department regarding what she saw.

Chief Darwin declined comment on the case, citing the victim’s status as a juvenile.

Glenwood City School District superintendent Tim Johnson would not comment on the specifics of the discussion or how Peyton became injured, but assured parents each child’s safety is of utmost importance to the district.

“I think that it’s important that people understand that their kids are safe, and we do everything we can to keep them safe at school,” he said. “We have a good school, we have great staff, we have good community support, and we’re proud of that.”

Elizabeth Kobs of the Minnesota Harley Riders said she founded MHR in 2014 to show others that bikers are family, and the best way to display that is for bikers to be there for those who need them.

“I lived in the (Glenwood City) school district years ago, and the same thing happened to my children, and we were ignored,” Kobs said. “I couldn’t ignore this. Peyton is just a little sweetie. I had the privilege to play with him this week, and he’s just a riot. He’s super shy, so he’s having a hard time with this right now.”

She said she knew she would have the support of the assembled groups to do what she could for the family, so she brought some gifts to hopefully bring Peyton’s smile back.

“Look at his mother,” Kobs said, pointing to Jackie Miller. “She’s emotional over this, and just wants her son’s smile back. Whatever I need to do to bring that child’s smile back, I will do.”

In addition to a new motorized mini-motorcycle, Kobs presented Peyton with a small leather Harley-Davidson vest to wear when he rides his new wheels.

Tony Price, of the Gold Star Ride Foundation, said all money raised by the non-profit in the month of October will be given to the Miller family to pay for medical expenses not covered by insurance, and any leaves of absence parents Jackie and Luke may need to take from work.

The Gold Star Ride Foundation was founded in 2016 to raise money for whatever Gold Star families might need assistance with. Since Peyton’s great-grandfather is a veteran of the Vietnam War, and his great-uncle is a veteran of the Korean War, they qualify as a Gold Star family.