Kim Williams Jr. never made it home from Rollins Elementary school Tuesday; the first-grader was killed after a school bus hit him at the corner of Parham and Spring Streets.
Williams' sister says the driver was not paying attention when he accelerated and struck her brother. Investigators are still trying to figure out exactly what happened.
Vance County Superintendent Wayne Adcock says the bus driver, 24-year-old Jeff Strong, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Adcock says the leave is standard procedure.
"He's on administrative leave right now from the bus, but even if he weren't, he's unable to drive a bus now. He's just too upset to do that," Adcock says.
Strong did have a clean driving record. Bus drivers are taught to count each child as he or she leaves the bus and walks away to try to avoid accidents like Tuesday's. Investigators are trying to determine whether that procedure was followed and if so, how the boy ended up in the path of the bus.
Police say they hope to complete the investigation by the end of the week. So far, no charges have been filed against the bus driver.
Students at the school met with crisis counselors Wednesday to help them handle the death of their classmate.
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