BOSTON (WHDH) - Neighbors set out flowers and toys on the street where a 5-year-old boy was fatally struck by a school bus in Hyde Park Monday afternoon.
The investigation into the bus crash continued Tuesday, and local residents were left reeling from the death of Lens Arthur.
“To hear that a child lost their life senselessly is just devastating for our community,” one neighbor said.
Relatives shared photos of Arthur with 7News Tuesday morning. They said Arthur had just gotten off the school bus with his 11-year-old cousin when he was struck and killed.
“My neighbor Nathaniel was here. He talked about being with this child as the child was transitioning in his arms,” the neighbor continued.
Police say the incident took place at 107 Washington Street around 2:45 p.m., while other students were onboard the bus.
Police said Arthur lived in the neighborhood with his family. The area was sealed off for hours as homicide detectives and an accident reconstruction team worked to investigate the scene.
Officials also reviewed surveillance video from cameras onboard the bus.
“This is absolutely heartbreaking and I hope all of us just hug our kids a little tighter,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu at a news conference Monday.
“He was a happy boy, he was a really smart boy,” said Remercie Edmond, Arthur’s aunt. “Very intelligent boy, yeah. Made everybody happy.”
Neighbors recounted their efforts to save the boy Monday.
“Just came home, in front of my driveway there was a young lady screaming. She was next to a younger male relative. She said the bus had hit him. He was in bad shape. I tried to get him on his side so that he could breathe better,” one man said.
The bus driver remained on the scene and is cooperating with police, according to local officials.
The victim’s family tells 7NEWS that the bus driver was not the usual one and the drop off spot wasn’t the usual one which caused the kids to have to cross the street.
Sources tell 7NEWS the bus driver is cooperating and agreed to a standard drug and alcohol test.
The company that provides bus services to the Boston Public Schools told 7NEWS they can’t comment on specifics, but say “Safety is always our top priority, and we are cooperating fully on all aspects of the investigation.”
“These are extraordinarily complex investigations involving accident reconstruction,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden.
On Tuesday morning, local religious leader Father Charles visited with Arthur’s family.
“You know, every one of us has to let his conscience direct him,” Charles said. “We are all to come together in this situation, because when we are together, we are strong.”
Community members are planning a vigil to remember the young boy. No charges have been filed against the school bus driver.
A spokesperson for the UP Academy in Dorchester, where Arthur attended class, released a statement saying in part, “We are so saddened by the loss of one of our students… Words can’t express how much this loss means to our community.”
An investigation into the tragedy could take days or even weeks, according to officials.
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