Ramapo, NY — January 29, 2026, a child was killed in a school bus accident just after 8:30 a.m. on Ostilla Avenue in New Square.
Authorities said a child was hit by a school bus near 32 Ostilla Avenue.
The 5-year-old child died a few hours later after being taken to Westchester County Medical Center, according to authorities.
Ramapo police have not released any additional information about the crash at this time, authorities said. The Rockland County accident is still under investigation.
Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman
When news breaks that a child has died after being hit by a school bus, the first question most people have is: How could this possibly happen? Parents trust school buses to be one of the safest ways to get their children to and from school. So when something goes this horribly wrong, it’s not enough to say, “It’s under investigation.” The community deserves clear answers, and those answers won’t come from surface-level reporting or vague official statements.
At this point, we don’t yet know if the child was boarding, exiting or near the bus for another reason. Depending on those facts, the questions that need answering can vary a lot. For example: Was the child in the driver’s blind spot? Were the bus’s safety systems, like crossing arms or stop signs, working properly? Was the driver aware of the child’s location at all times? Each of those questions leads to more specific ones about training, oversight and equipment.
Investigating a crash like this means going beyond the basic police report. In my experience, answers usually come from hard evidence: dashcam footage from the bus, GPS and telematics data, driver cell phone records and witness statements. That kind of information helps establish a minute-by-minute picture of what happened and whether the incident was preventable.
It also raises the question of what kind of oversight exists in the operation of the bus. Was this driver adequately trained? How recently had their performance been reviewed? Was this a public school bus or a private contractor? All those details can factor into accountability; not just for the person behind the wheel, but potentially for the company or district that put them there.
When it comes to school transportation, every layer of responsibility matters. Not because we’re trying to assign blame for its own sake, but because understanding what failed is the only way to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Key Takeaways:
- It’s not yet clear what the child was doing at the time of the crash or whether the driver could see them.
- Key evidence will likely include dashcam footage, GPS data and driver records.
- The role of driver training, equipment and safety procedures must be closely examined.
- School bus operators, public or private, may also face scrutiny for their hiring and oversight practices.
- A full investigation is necessary to determine what went wrong and who should be held accountable.
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