Kindergarten child and mother die – hit by bus on way to school

A kindergarten child and his mother died when they were hit by a school bus in a New York suburb, the school district said.

On Thursday, June 20, at around 8:30 a.m. local time, a minivan struck the 6-year-old boy and his mother as they walked to Mamaroneck Avenue Elementary School in the village of Mamaroneck, NY.
According to the Associated Press and the Magazine News.

Mamaroneck Village Police informed the Magazine News that the boy – whose identity has not been publicly released – was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities took his mother, a 43-year-old woman, to a local hospital, where she later died, the school district confirmed to PEOPLE.

“We informed you today of the tragic news that one of our MAS kindergarten students passed away after being struck by a car while walking to school with his mother,” the district said in a statement to the school community obtained by PEOPLE. “It is with a heavy heart that we now announce that the child’s mother has also passed away as a result of her injuries.”

“There is nothing worse for a community than the loss of a life and we know everyone in the Mamaroneck and Larchmont communities is heartbroken by this news,” they wrote in another message.

The Magazine News and News 12 Westchester reported that police said several parents and children were crossing the street when the bus made the turn.

Police said their initial investigation revealed that the bus turned on a green light and that the parents and children crossed the street when the pedestrian signal was on.

According to News 12, no one on the bus was injured. The driver, whose identity has also not been released publicly, is cooperating with the ongoing investigation, authorities told media. No charges have been filed.

Accordingly The Journal NewsA Royal Coach Lines bus was parked at the scene of the accident. The company, one of the largest contractors for schools in Westchester County, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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Authorities told News 12 that they were reviewing surveillance footage as part of the investigation and that initial reports indicated the crash was a “tragic accident.”

“We also know that the death of a child is especially difficult for other children to process. At this time, we have informed our staff of this incredible loss, and social workers and psychologists are fully deployed at MAS,” the school district said in a statement., He added that a crisis team and counselors would be available to students and staff at the school on Friday and that the school would dismiss students at the usual time.

“Our goal is to maintain as much normalcy as possible for our students and staff while being considerate and respectful of their needs and emotions,” the district continued.

The Village of Mamaroneck Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.