Bus Kills 6-Year-Old; Sleeping Boy Killed When Bus Crashes Into Home
Tragedy struck a New York neighborhood when a bus crashed into a Long Island home killing a young child.
The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in the town of Hempstead, when a bus verged off the road and into the residence. Police are investigating the crash that killed a 6-year-old boy and injured his 7-year-old brother. Both were sleeping inside the home at the time of the incident. The two boys were taken to the nearby Winthrop Hospital where the youngest brother was pronounced dead. The eldest boy survived with only injuries to his arms.
Apparently, the bus driver was approaching a nearby intersection when a pedestrian was seen in front of the moving vehicle. The driver then turned the bus to avoid the pedestrian and the bus jumped onto the curb moving toward the front bedroom of the home.
Nassau County police spokesman Inspector Kenneth Lack said, according to Examiner, "The bus driver blows his horn three times as a warning. The pedestrian keeps walking toward the moving bus that is traveling at the proper rate of speed with a green light."
The crash is being investigated and is currently regarded as an accident.
"Preliminarily, alcohol, drugs and speed do not appear to be a factor regarding the driver of the NICE bus," said Inspector Lack.
The accident almost took the lives of other people within the home, including resident Alida Gutierrez and her young daughter.
Eleven passengers were in the bus when it crashed into the home and eight of those people were taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries. Even though there is a crosswalk at the intersection, it reportedly isn't used often.
"They don't think, they just flash across," said neighbor Maria Bonilla. "They shouldn't do that, especially at night."
Nassau Inter-County Express operates the bus and started its own investigation into the cause of the crash.
