By: Richard L. Smith
Police said on the morning of January 18, 2024, Gloucester Township Police responded to an emergency at the intersection of Hickstown Road and Heatherwood Drive.
Upon arrival, police found that a 15-year-old female student of the Camden County Technical Schools - Gloucester Township Campus was struck by a vehicle while attempting to board her school bus.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the Fire Department promptly arrived at the scene, administering crucial treatment to the seriously injured student.
The initial investigation by the Gloucester Township Police Department Serious Crash Investigation Team (SCIT) suggests an oversight led to the accident.
The school bus, operated by a contracted service, was entirely stationary, with its red warning lights activated and "STOP" arm displayed.
The victim was crossing Hickstown Road from Heatherwood Drive to board the bus when a westbound vehicle, failing to adhere to the bus's warning signals, collided with her.
The driver of the vehicle involved stopped immediately after the accident, and thankfully, no other students were harmed.
The injured student was swiftly transported to Cooper Hospital in Camden, NJ. In response to the crisis, Camden County Technical School officials are providing support to the students' families and implementing necessary crisis procedures.
The incident resulted in Hickstown Road being closed for approximately two and a half hours for investigation and emergency response.
The road has since reopened, but the investigation remains highly active as authorities work to piece together the details of this unfortunate event.