The Olney-Bissell student who was struck by a vehicle after exiting a school bus near Whitefish in November is taking the next step toward recovery.

The family of Jordana Hubble reported on Facebook Thursday that the 6-year-old has been accepted into a coma emergence program at Nexus Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas, and will be transported there Monday via ALERT fixed-wing ambulance. Hubble is reported to be breathing on her own, but is still in critical condition nearly two months after being hit by a driver that failed to stop, even though the proper bus lights and stop signs were fully activated.

Hubble’s mother, Veronica, posted Jan. 2 that the family was having a hard time getting into a coma emergence program, with some saying she was too young, some saying she needed to be further along in the recovery process, and others denying her insurance coverage.

Veronica Hubble told the Daily Inter Lake in November her daughter suffered what doctors called a diffuse axonal injury. According to hopkinsmedicine.org, it is the shearing (tearing) of the brain’s long connecting nerve fibers, which happens when the brain is injured as it shifts and rotates inside the skull. It usually causes coma and injury to many different parts of the brain.

According to Montana Highway Patrol trooper Jon Raymond, who investigated the traffic accident, the driver — a local woman in her 50s — could have easily stopped in time to avoid the tragic incident.

Charges against the driver are still pending.

Reporter Jeremy Weber may be reached at 758-4446 or jweber@dailyinterlake.com.