FRANKFORT, IL — A 6-year-old student died Tuesday after being struck by a school bus in Frankfort, Illinois, according to police. Authorities said the crash happened in the afternoon on the 500 block of Aberdeen Road and involved a school bus and a pedestrian.
Police said officers were called to the scene at about 3:24 p.m. and found the girl unresponsive with serious injuries. First responders tried life-saving measures before she was taken to a local hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. The Cook County medical examiner identified her as Jenna Menias of Frankfort.
Police responded to Aberdeen Road shortly after 3:24 p.m.
Frankfort police said the initial call came in for a traffic collision involving a school bus and a pedestrian. The crash site was in the 500 block of Aberdeen Road, a residential stretch that remained active as investigators worked Tuesday evening.
CBS SkyWatch images from the area showed skid marks and a pink backpack marked off by cones in the middle of the road near Aberdeen Road and Heather Lane. Police did not publicly describe exactly how the collision happened, and the investigation remains open.
Frankfort School District 157-C says the crash affects the whole school community
Jenna Menias was a student at Frankfort School District 157-C. In a statement, the district said an event like the crash deeply affects the school family and urged students who are worried or upset to speak with a trusted adult, teacher, social worker or other support staff member.
The district also said it is working with Lincoln Way Transportation, the Frankfort Police Department and the Will County Sheriff’s Office as the agencies investigate what happened. That cooperation suggests the review is not limited to one agency and will likely include both school transportation personnel and law enforcement.
Officials say other children on the bus were not hurt
Police said several other passengers were on the bus when the crash happened. No additional injuries were reported, and those students have since been reunited with their families.
That detail is one of the few public signs of what happened inside the bus after the collision. Authorities have not said how many children were aboard, and they have not released further information about the driver or the route.
Community members saw evidence marked off near Aberdeen Road and Heather Lane
By Tuesday evening, the crash scene still showed signs of the investigation. Cones were placed around a pink backpack and visible skid marks in the roadway near the intersection of Aberdeen Road and Heather Lane.
Those items underscored the severity of the afternoon collision as detectives and other investigators continued their work. Police have not said what may have caused the bus to strike the child, and they have not announced any charges or citations tied to the crash.
Frankfort police are asking witnesses to come forward
Authorities are still gathering information about the fatal crash. Frankfort police asked anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant information to contact the department.
For now, the case remains focused on determining how the collision occurred and what circumstances led to the death of a young student in a suburban neighborhood. The only confirmed details released publicly are the time, location, victim identification and the fact that several other children on the bus were not injured.
