POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) - A 10-year-old boy died on Friday morning, April 27 after being run over by a school bus in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
According to Sgt. Clark Parrott with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, a person in a pickup behind the bus called 911 around 7:09 a.m.
Troopers said the fourth grader tripped and fell in front of the bus driven by a 39-year-old man headed southbound on Crestwood Drive.
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Parrott said the boy missed the bus and was running to catch up when he tripped and ended up under the wheels. He said there were other students on the bus at the time.
The boy was taken to an area hospital where he died just before 7:44 a.m.
According to Missouri State Highway Patrol, the boy was new to the district and he reportedly didn't have the bus schedule.
The victim's family is hosting a candlelight vigil on Friday on Crestwood Drive at 6:30 p.m.
The Poplar Bluff School District released a statement on Friday. They said there will be a crisis center was at the Middle School Media Center for students, parents and staff. Grief counselors will also be available.
"The Poplar Bluff School District was saddened to learn that one of our Middle School students was involved in a fatal accident this morning.
"The student was running to catch the bus unbeknownst to the driver and reportedly tripped and fell under the wheels, according to the Highway Patrol. The Major Crash Team is on the scene performing a mechanical inspection with our full cooperation.
"A Crisis Center has been established at the Middle School Media Center to aid students, parents, and staff as they cope with this tragic turn of events. Grief counseling professionals will continue to be available indefinitely where they are needed.
"Please take care of each other as we work through this sad, sad day."
We talked to students and their parents that ride the same bus.
One mom, Nicole Hall, was still shaken by how close to home this incident was.
"Spend those extra minutes that you're on Facebook or you're busy doing something else...and spend that extra time with them...love them, talk to them, know them because there's a parent that's out there that's not going to have that chance anymore," she said. "...and that's sad...and as any parent to even think about what this is like, is just heartbreaking."
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