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Young girl dies after being hit by school bus

A vigil will be held Sunday afternoon
Posted at 4:08 PM, Nov 04, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-06 14:54:05-05

The young girl who was pinned under a school bus on Friday in what the Springville-Griffith School District is calling a tragic accident - has died.

Donations have been poring in to the family of Alyssa Hearn to help cover the medical and funeral expenses; the GoFundMe page has already raised more than $30,000. If you'd like to donate to the Fuller Family, you can do so here.

The community is reportedly holding a balloon release, and candle light service tomorrow, at 1:00 p.m. at the Springville high school football field.

The Erie County Sheriff's Office says the accident happened on West Main Street in Springville. First repsonders brought the child to Bertrand Chaffee Hospital, where she later died of her injuries.

"I’m very sorry to inform you that there was a tragic accident this afternoon involving a Springville-Griffith school bus and one of our students. The Springville Griffith community will do all it can to support our students and families in the wake of this tragedy," Superintendent Kimberly Moritz said in a statement.

The Springville-Griffith Institute Central School District will have crisis counselors available Saturday morning for students, faculty and staff.  Anyone needing assistance can speak with a counselor from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Saturday, and as needed moving forward. 

"The District is working with authorities to determine the cause of the accident and to determine what can be done in the future to prevent similar tragedies. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time," Moritz said in the statement.

Reached by telephone Friday evening, Village Mayor William Krebs told 7 Eyewitness News was shaken by the tragedy.

"It was a traumatic accident, our hearts and prayers go out to the little girl, her family, and all the children who were on the bus," Krebs said.