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A crash involving a school bus in Westchester left a kindergarten student and his mother dead.
The incident happened on Thursday morning, June 20 around 8:30 a.m., when the student and his mother were struck by a vehicle while walking to the Mamaroneck Avenue School on Mamaroneck Avenue, according to the Mamaroneck Union Free School District.
According to the Village of Mamaroneck Police Department, investigators found that a school bus with several students and an aide on board had been traveling eastbound from New Street and turning left onto Mamaroneck Avenue with the green light while on its way to the Mamaroneck Avenue School.
As the bus turned, there were several parents and children crossing the street at the crosswalk with the walk sign, police said.
Both the child, age 6, and his mother, a 43-year-old Mamaroneck resident, were hit by a school bus.
The student died at the crash scene, while his mother later succumbed to her injuries at a nearby hospital.
The identities of the two have not yet been released.
The bus driver, a 68-year-old Mount Vernon man, is cooperating with investigators. There are currently no charges pending, police said, adding that the crash appears to be a "tragic accident."
In a statement, the district said the Mamaroneck community is "heartbroken" by the incident:
"There is nothing more difficult for a community to experience than the loss of life," the district said, adding, "We also know that the death of a child is particularly difficult for other children to process."
The district is now mobilizing social workers and psychologists at the Mamaroneck Avenue School in addition to working with the Larchmont Mamaroneck Community Counseling Center, the Bereavement Center of Westchester, and other school psychologists and social workers.
Additionally, the district is in the process of planning a place where families can gather for support and community.
Families in the community will have an opportunity to meet with mental health professionals on Friday, June 21 at noon in the Mamaroneck Avenue School building.
As a result of the crash, Mamaroneck Avenue was closed between North Barry Ave extension and Jefferson Avenue as authorities investigated the crash.
Mamaroneck schools will be dismissed on their regular schedules on Thursday. Community members are asked to not come to the Mamaroneck Avenue School at this time.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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