Counselors to help students, teachers after 9-year-old boy killed by school bus in Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — State troopers are investigating after a child in Orange County was hit and killed by a school bus.

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Orange County Public Schools will offer grief counselors to some students and teachers.

Troopers said was hit by the bus around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday at the Waterford East apartment complex.

Watch: FHP: Boy, 9, dies after crawling under school bus in Orange County

Officials said the 9-year-old victim was a student at Lawton Chiles Elementary.

A witness told Channel 9 that the boy got off the school bus and started walking away but then dropped his football.

The boy then went under the bus to retrieve the football and was killed in the process.

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Investigators are still reviewing video from the bus and the apartment complex to see if that’s what caused this tragedy.

Troopers confirm the boy started walking away, but then turned around and crawled under the bus.

Investigators said the boy was the only student on the bus at the time.

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Orange County Public Schools released a statement saying:

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death of one of our precious students who was involved in a bus accident late this afternoon. My heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the student’s family and school community. To lose a child so suddenly and tragically is extremely difficult especially for family and friends. We will have counselors available for any student or staff member dealing with the news. Please know that OCPS is fully cooperating with the ongoing Florida Highway Patrol investigation but we ask that you keep the entire Lawton Chiles Elementary School community in your prayers as they grieve the loss of one of their own.”

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