Day care bus strikes, kills young boy

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - There was a heartbreaking scene on Buffalo’s west side, when a little boy was struck down while crossing the street.

A 10-year-old boy and his brother were crossing the street at Prospect Avenue and Rhode Island Street on the city’s west side, around 5 p.m, just as it was getting dark, and that's when the night took a tragic turn.

"(The) boy was crossing Prospect Avenue in a westerly direction when he was struck and killed by a church daycare bus that was traveling northbound on Prospect Avenue,” said Buffalo Police Accident Investigation Unit Lieutenant Joseph Pierchala.

A relative says that the boy and his family recently moved here, looking for a better life from the small country of Bhutan, which is between China and India. They moved here just last year, and were sponsored by Catholic Charities. All his family could do was watch and wait as investigators looked into how he was struck by a bus at this four-way stop .

Pierchala said, “It was proceeding through the intersection."

News 4 asked if the vehicle stopped at the stop sign. "That's still under investigation,” said Pierchala.

The bus was from a church based day care and had children on board, but police aren't saying which church. The driver of the bus pulled over after she she struck the boy, and as of right now, there are no charges against her.

Pierchala said, “The driver has volunteered to give a blood sample to test for alcohol but at this time, there's no signs of alcohol involvement or intoxication."

Police have not released the little boy's name.