Child, mom struck and killed by school bus…witness describes the scene
A man describes hearing the crash and responding to the scene after a boy and his mother were struck and killed by a vehicle in Mamaroneck Thursday, June 20, 2024.
A 6-year-old boy finishing kindergarten and his mother died after being struck by a mini-bus while walking to Mamaroneck Avenue Elementary School in Mamaroneck on Thursday morning, officials said.
According to Mamaroneck Village police, the boy was a student at the school. His mother was 43. Both lived in the village. Police said the boy was pronounced dead at the scene. The mother was taken to a nearby hospital, where she later died.
According to police, an initial investigation revealed that the bus was traveling eastbound from New Street, turning left onto Mamaroneck Avenue with a green light. The bus was headed to the school and had the driver, a 68-year-old man from Mount Vernon, several students and an aide on board.
As the bus was turning, several parents and children were crossing the street within a crosswalk with a walk sign, police said. That’s when the mother and son were struck.
Police: ‘a tragic accident’
Police said there are no charges pending for the bus driver. “The driver of the school bus is cooperating with investigators, and it appears at this time that this incident was a tragic accident,” a police statement said.
Police have not yet provided identities for the boy or his mother, or the driver of the vehicle that struck them. Mamaroneck Schools Superintendent Charles Sampson declined to say anything about the family at a Thursday afternoon press conference.
The crash occurred at about 8:30 a.m. about half a block from the school, on Mamaroneck Avenue, across from a busy shopping center that includes Chipotle, CVS, Duck Donuts and North Shore Farms.
Sampson said that he did not believe that a crossing guard is assigned at the intersection where the incident occurred. He did not want to respond to concerns expressed by neighbors and passers-by on Thursday morning that the intersection was unsafe.
“I’m sure we will be taking a deep dive….as a community into safety issues,” he said.
Mamaroneck Village Police Chief Sandra DiRuzza acknowledged that the shopping center has become “very busy” and said she would be talking to village officials and traffic consultants about enhancing safety.
“I would love to have a crossing guard or a police officer at every intersection,” she said.
A lone backpack
At the scene on Thursday morning, a Royal Coach Lines mini-bus was stopped in front of the shopping center. A lone yellow backpack sat in the road about 20 feet behind the bus. The backpack was taken away from the scene at 11:23 a.m. and put in a police SUV. The mini-bus was towed away at 12:13 p.m.
“There is nothing more difficult for a community to experience than the loss of life, and we know that everyone in the Mamaroneck and Larchmont communities is heartbroken by this news,” the school district said in a note to the community. “We also know that the death of a child is particularly 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.”
John Hunter of Mamaroneck was leaving Mass at St. Vito’s Catholic Church and heard the accident. Hunter came over and saw that a woman and a boy were struck. EMS were on the scene immediately and were working with the mother. Hunter walked over to the boy.
“There was nothing I could do at that time. It was just catastrophic,” Hunter told The Journal News/lohud.
The school district said it is mobilizing crisis support teams and working with the Larchmont Mamaroneck Community Counseling Center, the Bereavement Center of Westchester, a mobile crisis team, as well as school psychologists and social workers.
Psychologists and social workers will be available to students starting at 8 a.m. Friday. Community members will be able to meet with mental health professionals beginning at noon Friday at Mamaroneck Avenue School.
Sandra Zadrima, principal of Mamaroneck Avenue School, said school staff would be “checking in on every child and speaking with parents.”
The school is set to have a fifth grade graduation party on Friday and a graduation ceremony on Monday.
Elaine Hadley is a dedicated journalist covering the ever-evolving landscape of U.S. news. With a keen interest in politics and a commitment to uncovering the truth, she provides insightful commentary and in-depth analysis on domestic issues. When not reporting, Elaine enjoys exploring the diverse cultures and landscapes of the United States.
