2nd-grader from Luhr Elementary suffers ‘very serious’ injuries after being hit by JCPS bus | Education newsbhunt

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A second-grader at Luhr Elementary School was hit by a Jefferson County Public Schools bus near the school early Monday.

JCPS spokesman Mark Hebert said the 8-year-old boy was hit outside the school. Louisville Metro Police Officer Matt Sanders said the child’s injuries are “very serious.”

According to a Louisville MetroSafe supervisor, it happened around 8:15 a.m. at Fegenbush Lane at Hollow Creek Road. Hebert said the child was crossing the street when he was hit. He said the bus did not have any students on it and was not headed to Luhr.  

Sanders said the boy was with his father and a sibling when he may have “darted in front of the school bus” that was headed southbound on Fegenbush. Sanders said the student was taken to Norton Children’s Hospital, where he was listed in critical but stable condition. 

Carlina Estrada said she was in her car behind the bus when it happened.

“I’m trying to calm down,” she said. “I mean, when you’re put in that situation, it’s fight or flight and there’s a lot of adrenaline.”

Estrada said she was on her way to a different school when she “noticed it was a child. I put my car in park and just ran up to check on him and see if he was OK.”

Estrada said several other people also rushed over to help, and the scene has been replaying in her mind. “You’re just trying to find a way to calm yourself, calm your mind, after something like that.”

LMPD’s Traffic Unit is handling the investigation. The traffic control officer that normally works at the intersection was not there Monday due to being on bereavement leave. 

Sanders said LMPD doesn’t have replacements for traffic control officers.

“We don’t have enough TCOs to cover all area schools as it is, unfortunately,” Sanders said in a written statement. He said they currently have 76 TCOs, which is 36 short of the 112 TCO positions available.  

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