A 16-year-old  Bensalem High School student was struck and killed by a vehicle this morning while she was crossing Bensalem Boulevard to her waiting school bus.  The student was struck by a Ford Bronco, driven by an 18-year-old driver who failed to yield to the flashing stoplights of the waiting bus. The unidentified driver was attempting to go around the stopped school bus when he struck the victim in the crosswalk.

“I don’t know what he was thinking,” said Fred Harran, Bensalem Police director of public safety.

The events unfolded around 6:40 a.m.  in the Philadelphia suburb of Bensalem. Witnesses report that after the driver struck the girl, she was dragged by the vehicle for a short distance before he stopped. Three nurses on the scene immediately began administering CPR before she was rushed to Frankford-Torresdale Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, officials stated.

The driver is said to be cooperating with the police and Jonathan Long of the District Attorney’s office. He is not expected to be charged today. While the investigation continues, the driver will not be issued a ticket or charged with a summary offense as that may lead to double jeopardy issues if more serious charges are pressed in the future. Long works in the homicide by vehicle unit of the DA’s office.

At the scene, the victim’s shoes and glove were scattered across the highway. There were no cameras on the bus that could have captured the events, so witness testimonies are important to the investigation. It has since been confirmed that the safety features of the school bus were fully operational at the time of the incident.

“Two lives are now ruined. One girl is dead and this kid is not gonna ever forget this, no matter what happens to him ,” Harran said. “People have to slow down and stop for school buses.”

At the time of the incident, no crossing guard was present at Bensalem Boulevard. The guard’s shift does not begin until 7 a.m. The lack of a crossing guard was brought to Harran’s attention.

“I’m not sure a crossing guard would have made any difference. In fact, we might have had two people hit by a car had we had one there,” said Harran.

The investigation is ongoing.