5-Year-Old Granbury ISD Student Tragically Killed by School Bus: Community Calls for Increased Safety Measures
A 5-year-old boy attended Emma Roberson Early Learning Academy and died Monday after being struck by a Granbury Independent School District (ISD) school bus. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed the incident, which occurred shortly after 6:00 a.m. while the bus was traveling northeast on Pecos River Drive in the Comanche Cove subdivision.
According to a preliminary DPS report, the bus had stopped to pick up students near Brazos River Drive. As it was leaving, the child ran up alongside the driver’s side and moved in front of the bus, leading to the tragic accident. He was transported to a hospital but ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Fortunately, eight other students and the 66-year-old bus driver were unharmed.
Granbury ISD expressed their sorrow in a statement, calling the loss heart-wrenching and pledging support to the affected family and school community. Superintendent Dr. Courtney Morawski reported that the district has reached out to the families of all students who were present on the bus at the time of the incident. To help students cope, chaplains, school counselors, and staff will be made available in the upcoming weeks.
Residents of Comanche Cove expressed concerns about the safety of students who wait for the bus at the corner of Pecos River Drive and Brazos River. Many parents typically accompany their children until the bus arrives, as there are no designated bus stops or crosswalks in the area. The hilly, rural terrain is notorious for blind spots, leading some community members to warn that it was only a matter of time before an accident occurred.
Dale Hall, a local resident, called for more traffic control measures, including a stop sign, speed bumps, or increased police presence, stating, “It was just a matter of time before something like this would happen because of all the traffic that’s in here now.”
Additional concerns were raised by parents like Bobbie Estep, who noted the lack of sidewalks near the school and the dangers posed to children walking in the area. Both Hall and Estep pointed out that school buses sometimes exceed speed limits, heightening their concerns for student safety.
“I just want my kid to be safe,” Estep remarked. “I want to know that when he walks home from school, he’s going to be safe.”
The community is now calling for immediate action to enhance safety protocols and infrastructure to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future, reflecting the shared sentiment of parents who want reassurance that their children can commute to school safely.
