Providence, R.I : 9-year-old girl died after struck by a Rhode Island Public Transit Authority bus on Smith Street on Thursday morning, March 26, 2015

Providence police said Thursday that a RIPTA bus struck and killed a 9-year-old girl on her way to school.

The girl was struck at about 8:30 a.m. on Smith Street. Her name was not immediately released.

Accident reconstruction teams were at the scene all morning. No charges had been filed by Thursday evening.

"We've asked the state police to come in and inspect the bus. The RIPTA bus driver is distraught as well, as you can imagine," Providence public safety commissioner Steven Pare said.

Investigators are beginning the process of combing through surveillance video from cameras at surrounding businesses to determine exactly what happened.

The girl was in the area with her father and she attempted to cross the street.

"We're waiting on the video portion of the investigation to determine if she was with her dad while she was crossing the street. There are many people to talk to there are many video cameras to look at," Col. Hugh Clements said.

The Providence School District said counselors would be made available to the girl's classmates.

"Our collective hearts are heavy, and we extend our deepest sympathies to her family in this time of unimaginable tragedy," a statement from Providence Schools said.

The girl was in the third grade, but officials did not specify which school she attended.

The bus driver was taken to a hospital as a precaution. His name was not released, but officials said he is a 16-year veteran with no major accidents on his record.

RIPTA's accident board will review the police report once it's completed.

"I will tell you that the driver is a volunteer softball coach and he coaches girls about this age, so he's having a very difficult time at the moment. So, we want support him as best we can. He will be on leave until he is fit to come back to duty," said Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, who is chairman of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority board.

A RIPTA bus struck and killed a federal court security officer in a crosswalk in May. Fatal events are unusual in the authority's overall history.

"Based on those facts and circumstances, RIPTA has taken a number of steps to improve safety and security for passengers and the public at large," RIPTA chief executive Raymond Studley said.

Some of those steps included more training and investigating new technology for audio alerts when drivers make turns.

On any given day, RIPTA moves 70,000 people across more than 30,000 miles.

Source :
Young girl killed after being hit by RIPTA bus