STANDISH, Maine — A 5-year-old boy was fatally injured Tuesday morning after being struck by an MSAD 6 school bus at the intersection of Northeast Road (Route 35) and Route 114.
Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the scene shortly before 8 a.m. They found Simon Gonzalez, a student at Edna Libby Elementary School, pronounced dead at the scene. One other student, his half-brother, was on the bus at the time of the incident, authorities said.
The crash prompted a response from multiple agencies, including the Maine State Police Traffic Safety Unit, Windham Fire Department, and Gorham Police Department. The location of the accident was closed to traffic and reopened around 11 a.m.
MSAD 6 Superintendent Clay Gleason confirmed that students at Edna Libby Elementary would dismiss early at 11:30 a.m. All after-school activities were canceled. Parents were encouraged to support their children during this difficult time.
sClasses will be canceled Wednesday for additional support services. Parents and children can visit between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. for counseling and resources. School is expected to resume as normal on Thursday, with teachers available to assist students in processing the tragedy.
A GoFundMe page was established to support Simon’s family. The crash remains under investigation, and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a thorough examination of the events leading up to the accident.