A teenage girl died in a collision involving a city bus in northeast Edmonton Saturday night.
The victim has been identified as 13-year-old Mariama Sillah. Edmonton Public Schools said Sillah attended Victoria School.
“All of us at Edmonton Public Schools grieve at news that one of our students was involved in a fatal tragedy this past weekend,” Edmonton public said in an email to Global News on Monday.
“Our hearts and our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the young person involved.”
Counsellors have been brought in to provide support to students and staff.
Sillah was crossing 137 Avenue on 40 Street in a marked crosswalk when she was hit by an Edmonton Transit System (ETS) bus and dragged a short distance at around 7:40 p.m., according to police.
Police said the bus was making a left turn onto 137 Avenue at the time of the collision.
“It’s a pretty significant intersection. It had all the traffic lights and functioning the way it should be,” Insp. Gary Godziuk said.
The ETS bus reportedly didn’t stop and wait at the scene after the fatal collision because police believe the driver didn’t know the girl was hit.
The 13-year-old was declared deceased at the scene.
The bus believed to be involved in the collision was found at the Coliseum Station a few hours later.
“We thought it was a hit and run because there was no vehicle remaining at the scene,” Godziuk said.
“It took about 90 minutes for us to get enough information, and I’m not sure of the specifics of how that information came to be, but the investigation revealed that, with the assistance of the Edmonton Traffic System, that a bus was in the area. We did investigations to that end and can determine that the bus was involved.”
Watch Below: A 13-year-old girl died after a collision involving an Edmonton Transit bus in northeast Edmonton Saturday night. Shallima Maharaj reports.
In a news release, city manager Linda Cochrane and deputy city manager of operations Doug Jones offered their sympathies to family and friends of the victim, and added they’re deeply concerned about the incident.
“The City of Edmonton will continue to work with the Edmonton Police Service on this investigation. Internally, we will promptly launch a full operational review and take action to minimize the potential for any future tragic event,” read the release.
The Edmonton Police Service Major Collision Investigation Unit is investigating.
Charges haven’t been laid, and speed and alcohol aren’t believed to be factors.
This is Edmonton’s 24th traffic fatality of the year.
“The Edmonton Police Service grieves as with all citizens of the 24th fatality in the city of Edmonton. Unacceptable by all accounts, we wish it was zero and we’re working hard to achieve that,” Godziuk said.
READ MORE: Edmonton bus driver charged in fatal pedestrian collision
In October, an Edmonton transit bus driver was charged in connection with a fatal pedestrian collision in the city’s west end earlier that month.
On Oct. 4, an elderly woman was struck by a bus while walking in a marked crosswalk in the area of 87 Avenue and 169 Street. The 83-year-old woman was treated at the scene and taken to hospital where she later died.
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