Missouri boy, 6, hit and killed by school bus seconds after he got off
A 6-year-old Missouri boy was hit and killed a few seconds after getting off his school bus when he was returning home for Christmas break on Tuesday. The identity of the first-grader is not known yet.
The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon in Jefferson County, after the boy's school bus dropped him near home. The Missouri Highway Patrol said the child exited the bus moments before it struck him near Oakland Hill Drive and Oakland Manor, six miles south of Festus.
According to the police, there were other kids in the bus when it pulled away after hitting the child. Police said they will not be revealing the name of the boy right now.
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According to the St Louis Post-Dispatch, the bus was towed away from the scene later. Trooper Scott Roettger from Missouri Highway Patrol said that the driver of the bus and all witnesses were quizzed about when the incident happened. The 6-year-old was a student at the Plattin Primary School; and on the day of the incident, the students had held Christmas parties in their classrooms as it was the last working day of the term before the holidays.
Superintendent Clint Johnston said, "This morning we were singing Christmas carols together. This is a bad day; it is a bad day for our school, it is a bad day for our community. We are hurting."
Johnston also added that even though the school is on a break now, authorities will be available for counseling of students and staff. He also requested parents to talk to their kids about the incident so that it does not impact them mentally.
He added, "I think that it is important that you start by letting them know you care about them, and you let them know it is okay to hurt. We have to work together as a community to get through this situation. It is going to be a tough Christmas season for a lot of people and we will get through it." He also added, "We will rise. We will pull together, but this is not the way anyone wants to ever have to experience a holiday break."
One of the parents, Cassie Portell, whose daughter attends Plattin Primary said she has talked to her daughter about the incident. She said, "We just actually opened up and had a conversation with them. We are just honest because kids are going to be talking about this at school. Hug your little ones tight. It is a tragic loss."
A memorial has been built for the late child near his home, and about half a mile from his school. People have dropped off items and lit candles at the memorial.