GETTYSBURG, Pa. — State Police are investigating a pedestrian crash involving a Gettysburg High School student and a school bus that occurred Friday morning near the high school building on the 900 block of Old Harrisburg Road.
The 15-year-old female student that was struck was transported to Hershey Medical Center for treatment with serious injuries, according to State Police.
The incident occurred around 7:15 a.m., according to the school district. The school bus was carrying four Gettysburg Middle School students.
Police say the female student ran across the crosswalk in front of the school bus as it was driving South on Old Harrisburg Road. The bus was unable to avoid hitting the student.
School officials, law enforcement, emergency responders, and representatives from E&B Transportation responded immediately to the scene, the school district said.
The families of the student who was struck and those that were riding the bus were immediately contacted, according to the school district.
The bus driver and its four students onboard were all left uninjured, officials state.
The incident is under investigation. Troopers were still on the scene hours after the incident. Drivers were advised to avoid the area.
"Our immediate focus is on the well-being of the injured student and their family," the school district said.
FOX43 was able to speak to a bystander who was there when first responders arrived on the scene.
"I saw the school bus sitting over there and I could see there were a few children on the bus, and then I could see the ambulance sitting in the vet's office there and they were trying to attend to a young person," Peggy Green said.
Just two days ago, a Boyo student transport van struck a 69-year old woman in Ephrata who was crossing the road; her current condition is unclear.
These cases are highlighting the importance of school bus safety, coincidentally during National School Bus Safety Week.
"Safety Week is so important because it is keeping the kids safe, so educating the public about what is expected of them and the motorists around the school buses and what to do and how to respond to those flashing red lights and those flashing yellow lights," Steve Hoffmaster, the assistant safety director at Rohrer said.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says some important points to note to ensure the safety of students include staying away from traffic when waiting for the bus, getting to the bus stop early to avoid running across the road to catch the bus, and being aware of your surroundings if crossing the road.
"Being able to get our kids safely to and from school is a really vital service," Glenn Pickering from the Susquehanna School District Rohrer Bus Depot said.
The Department of Transportation also has some tips for bus drivers that include checking to make sure all of the children getting out of the bus are at a place of safety before leaving, and providing adequate instruction so that every student is familiar with school bus emergency procedures and equipment use.