10-year-old dies after being hit by bus
March 24--Parents of children who rode Bus 993 in Whitley County Monday are likely holding those children tighter today after a fourth-grader was killed in a tragic accident.
According to Whitley County Schools Superintendent Scott Paul, the 10-year-old boy, whose name had not been released by press time, was a student at Whitley North Elementary School.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. Bus 993 was traveling east on KY-779, better known as Browns Creek Road.
"The bus was halfway through its route on KY-779 approximately a half-mile past Clark's Grocery when the accident occurred," Paul explained. "According to witnesses at the scene, the child had exited the bus, walked up the bank on the side of the road and then re-entered the path of the bus again as it began moving forward."
He said approximately 20 other students were on the bus when the boy was killed.
"(As there was) no cell phone service in the area, the bus driver immediately made contact via two-way radio with the Whitley County School District Bus Garage to request emergency personnel at the scene," Paul explained. "The bus garage immediately contacted 911 and dispatched another bus to the scene along with WCS District Transportation Director Bobby Blakley."
Besides Blakley, Paul said that he, Deputy Superintendent Paula Trickett, Director of Pupil Personnel Patrick Bowlin, Whitley North Principal Larry Brown and grief counselors from the school system were on the scene "within minutes."
"The parents of those students remaining on the bus were notified by district personnel, and those students whose parents were unable to pick them up were delivered safely home," Paul added.
Kentucky State Police lead the investigation.
Assistance into the investigation came from School Resource Officer Jeff Anderson, troopers with KSP's Commercial Vehicle Enforcement as well as the Whitley County Sheriff's Office.
CVE Officer Steve Douglas said Post 11 Trooper Craig Reed, an accident reconstructionist, was brought in to investigate the accident, as well as CVE Officer Jerry Jones.
Douglas said Jones works in the "head office" as a collision analyst.
"The Whitley County Schools Transportation Department is cooperating fully with the Kentucky State Police and local authorities in the investigation," Paul said, confirming that an internal investigation has also been initiated.
"Remember all those involved in this terrible tragedy with thoughts and prayers, as the entire Whitley County family mourns during this very difficult time," Paul said Monday.
Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley confirmed the boy was killed in the accident with the bus. He said late Monday afternoon that he declared the child dead at the scene.
The boy was exiting the bus when for some unknown reason he moved back into the pathway of the bus as it moved forward, Croley said.
Firefighters with Woodbine Volunteer Fire and Rescue assisted at the scene -- the road was closed in both directions for approximately 5 hours while law enforcement conducted their investigation.
Crew members with Whitley County EMS were also on hand.
Whitley County Schools will be closed today due to the tragedy.
Copyright 2015 - The Times-Tribune, Corbin, Ky.
