Every morning, thousands of children wait outside for their school bus. The majority make it to and from school without incident, but on occasion we hear dreadful news – a child has been hit while waiting for their bus.
On February 28, six-year-old Jerrina Horne was waiting with her grandmother for her bus when she was struck by a pickup truck.
The little girl died later that evening.
“We were on the sidewalk. Then, I saw the black truck coming,” Beatrice Mayson, Jerrina’s grandmother, told Channel 9. “I tried calling her, ‘Jerrina! Jerrina!’ [but] I can’t hear no voice.”
Every morning, Jerrina waited with a family member until she boarded her bus in Lancaster County, North Carolina. On February 28, the the six-year-old waited, hand in hand, with Mayson. According to reports, Jerrina stepped out into the street when a pickup truck struck her.
“She said my little sister got run over. She was crying.”
While EMS tended to Jerrina, a neighbor ran across the street to comfort the six-year-old’s little sister.
Jerrina was transported to Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte where she was treated for serious injuries, but later that evening she died.
According to the school district, Jerrina and her family typically waited for the school bus to arrive before they crossed the street and met the bus, but on Friday they crossed early.
Police are currently investigating the incident, though Patricia Mayson, Jerrina’s mother, wants justice for her daughter.
“I want justice for my baby girl. I want justice for my baby girl. She didn’t deserve this,” she said.
In a statement, Jerrina’s school said they would have extra counselors at the school the six-year-old attended. They also asked for prayers for Jerrina and her family.
“Everything we do as school officials is first and foremost to take care of children and when we see a child get hurt in the community for whatever reason, I think it everybody hurts,” School Safety Director Bryan Vaughn said. “This is one of the darkest days that you can have as a school employee.”
We must do better when we see anyone crossing the street, but especially children!
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