A kindergarten student and his mother were struck and killed by school bus while walking to school

MAMARONECK, N.Y. — A kindergarten student and his mother were struck and killed by a school bus on Thursday while walking to school in suburban New York, authorities said.

The crash happened just after 8:30 a.m. in the village of Mamaroneck in Westchester County.

The 6-year-old boy and his 43-year-old mother were walking about half a block from Mamaroneck Avenue Elementary School when they were hit by a yellow minibus carrying several students and an aide.

Police say a group of parents and students were crossing the street at the crosswalk with the walk sign on as the bus was turning left on Mamaroneck Avenue with a green light.

The child was killed, and the mother was taken to a hospital for treatment, where she succumbed to her injuries, according to police.

Investigators said the bus driver, identified by police only a 68-year-old from Mt. Vernon, is not facing charges at this time as the incident appears to be a ''tragic accident.''

Police have also not identified the victims other than to say they are Mamaroneck residents.

''There is nothing more difficult for a community to experience than the loss of life, and we know that everyone in the Mamaroneck and Larchmont communities is heartbroken by this news,'' the school district officials said in a statement.

The Journal News reports that a Royal Coach Lines minibus was parked at the crash site about half a block from the school with a yellow backpack about 20 feet (6 meters) behind it. The bus was later towed, and the backpack was removed and put in a police vehicle.