Merced girl struck by school bus, taken to hospital

A 10-year-old Merced girl suffered “minor to moderate” injuries early Monday when she was struck by a Merced school bus, the Sun-Star has confirmed.

The girl was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Merced with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The incident was reported at 7:20 a.m. Monday at R Street and Northwood Drive. Five other children were on board the Merced City School District bus. They were not injured, Capt. Sam Samra confirmed in a telephone interview.

Samra said the driver, a 32-year-old Merced man, was turning left from R Street onto Northwood when the girl, who was running north on R, crossed in front of the bus.

“There is no crosswalk at that part of the road,” Samra told the Sun-Star. “We’re still investigating the cause of the crash.”

Neither drugs nor alcohol were factors, the CHP said.

Samra said the incident should remind all drivers and pedestrians to be cautious, especially in the mornings and evenings.

“We all have to be aware, and it serves as reminder as this is School Bus Safety Awareness Week in California,” Samra said.

The CHP’s School Bus Safety Program aims not only to raise awareness about pedestrian and passenger safety, but also to inspect more than 24,000 school buses each year.

CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said school bus safety takes a “collective effort” from government agencies, transportation professionals and the public.

“The fact that California has not had a pupil passenger fatality in 20 years is no accident,” Farrow said in a statement released Monday. “California may have the best pupil passenger safety record in the nation, but we always need the help of the driving public.”

This story was originally published October 19, 2015 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Merced girl struck by school bus, taken to hospital."