Editor’s note: Police originally said the boy was crossing 162 Avenue, but later clarified he was crossing Castle Downs Road. The story has been updated to reflect the correct information.
A 12-year-old boy was taken to hospital with serious injuries after he was struck by a school bus in north Edmonton Wednesday morning.
It happened at the intersection of Castle Downs Road and 162 Avenue at around 8:30 a.m., police said in a media release.
Officers believe the boy was heading east across Castle Downs Road when he was struck by a bus that was turning left onto Castle Downs Road.
Police on scene said the bus had a green light and the child was walking in the crosswalk. Police said the boy was run over by the front tires of the bus and the driver stopped right away. The boy suffered injuries to his lower body, police said.
The 12-year-old was treated on scene and taken to hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, according to police. The boy’s parents were notified.
A spokesperson with the EPS said police escorted the ambulance to hospital. At least seven police vehicles were involved in the escort, which travelled down Jasper Avenue.
Maybet Sanchez is a fellow school bus driver who drove past the collision Wednesday morning. After dropping off her students, she came back to check on the victim.
“I saw the bus just stopped there in the middle of the intersection and there was a pedestrian underneath,” she said.
“I wanted to come back to see what was going on, if the person was alive or what happened. There were regular people around looking at the scene and they were looking for help.”
The general manager of student transportation with Golden Arrow Buses said the driver of the bus told him the “do not cross” sign was on the crosswalk at the time. Brian Hauptman told Global News the driver will undergo drug and alcohol testing, as per protocol.
Golden Arrow is working with police and will also conduct its own investigation, Hauptman said.
A statement from Edmonton Public Schools said the child who was struck was one of their students, but a spokesperson did not specify which school the boy attends.
The bus was taking eight students to two nearby schools, Megan Normandeau with Edmonton Public Schools said. Normandeau did not say to which schools the kids were heading.
The parents of all of the children involved were contacted, according to Edmonton Public Schools.
Police said a second bus was brought in to take the kids on the original bus to school.
The intersection was closed to traffic Wednesday morning and police remained at the intersection to redirect traffic. The intersection reopened before 1 p.m.
Charges have not yet been laid.