A 7-year-old boy died Friday after he was hit by a school bus in Park Forest, police said in a news release.
The crash happened on the 100 block of Walnut Street around 3:13 p.m. while the bus was taking students home from Park Forest-Chicago Heights School District 163, Park Forest police said. The boy was seriously injured, and his family began life-saving measures until police and paramedics arrived.
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The boy was taken to Franciscan Health Olympia Fields Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, according to the statement. He was identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office as Connor Kasmarski.
“The men and women of the Park Forest Police Department grieve for the child’s family and for the tragic loss of this child’s life,” the statement said.
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The bus involved in the accident is owned by Kickert School Bus Line Inc., police said. The driver of the bus and any witnesses to the accident are being interviewed for the investigation. It was not immediately known if any charges will be filed related to the accident, which is being investigated by the Park Forest Police Department and the Suburban Major Accident Reconstruction Team (SMART.)
The school district and the police department are arranging for counselors to be available over the weekend and at the start of next week for students and staff, according to the statement.
Anyone with information related to the accident is asked to call the Park Forest Police Investigations Division at 708-748-1309.
