Kindergartner, 5, Dies After He’s Hit by School Bus. His Brother Was on Board

A 5-year-old boy has died after being hit by a school bus in Maine. Authorities said his half-brother was the only student on the bus at the time.

The crash happened Tuesday, Dec. 16, shortly before 8 a.m. local time on Route 35 in Standish, less than half a mile from Edna Libby Elementary School, according to ABC affiliate WMTW, CBS affiliate WGME and the Portland Press Herald. Kindergartner Simon Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene, the outlets reported.

Officials confirmed to WMTW that the bus belonged to the Bonny Eagle School District. Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce told the outlet that the child’s half-brother was the sole student onboard when the incident occurred.

An investigation is ongoing, and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Later that day, Superintendent Clay Gleason of Maine School Administrative District 06 shared the news with the school community in a statement.

“It is with great sadness that I share the news that there was a fatal accident involving an elementary school aged student and a Bonny Eagle school bus this morning around 8:00 AM,” Gleason wrote. Students at Edna Libby Elementary School were dismissed at 11:30 a.m.

“I have been in communication with the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and a full investigation will be forthcoming to determine how this tragic accident took place,” he continued. “In this difficult time please keep those directly impacted in your thoughts — first and foremost the family of the student, as well as the students and staff of Edna Libby.”

He added that assigning blame online was harmful and disrespectful to the child’s memory and the family.

As the community mourns, the boy’s family shared their grief.

“Simon loved life. He loved to just be on the go,” Jason Small, the child’s grandfather, said in a statement to WMTW. “Our family has been devastated by this loss. … He was and always will be extremely loved and missed by his whole family and everyone that knew him.”

A community member has organized a GoFundMe on the family’s behalf, which had raised more than $44,000 as of Wednesday, Dec. 17.