Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Victim of fatal school bus crash reportedly 5-year-old boy who attended Dorchester school
The boy was hit after he got off the bus on his way home from school Monday afternoon, authorities said.
Community members and school officials are grieving a 5-year-old-boy’s death after he was struck and killed by a school bus Monday afternoon in Hyde Park.
The boy was hit when he got off the bus on his way home from school at around 2:45 p.m., authorities said. He was struck near 107 Washington St., according to Boston Police Officer Mark Marron.
A family member who did not wish to be identified told The Boston Globe and other media outlets that the boy’s name was Lens Arthur Joseph. He was reportedly with his 11-year-old cousin when the bus hit him.
Advertisement:
Nathaniel Thomas, a neighbor, told WCVB that he saw the aftermath of the crash and tried to help Joseph.
“I just pulled up in front of my driveway, and I saw the kid on the ground,” he said. “Wasn’t in good condition, and his relative was screaming. The bus driver was panicking. I told the neighbor to call the police.”
Joseph attended UP Academy Dorchester, a pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade charter school in the Boston Public Schools district, according to the Globe.
“We are grieving this heartbreaking loss,” Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper said in a statement. “We extend our deepest condolences to our student’s family, school community, and all those affected by this tragedy.”
Advertisement:
The district will be offering support services for students, staff, and families in the community, Skipper said.
“Our hearts break for the child’s family and entire school community following this tragic incident,” said School Committee Chair Jeri Robinson.
Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox told reporters at the scene Monday afternoon that police are fully investigating.
“This is a tragic investigation of a child being struck,” Cox said in a WCVB-TV live broadcast. “We are doing all we can to make sure we investigate.”
Some of the children on the bus were also taken to local hospitals and evaluated, according to Cox. The bus driver, who stayed on the scene, is fully cooperating with the investigation, he added.
Law enforcement told the Globe that no other vehicles were involved in the crash, but one resident said that vehicles are often “flying up and down” through the residential area.
Hillary Casson, CEO at UP Education Network, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com