BATH BEACH, Brooklyn — The Bath Beach community is reeling after the tragic death of 11-year-old Amira Aminova, who was struck and killed by a school bus Thursday afternoon while crossing a marked crosswalk. The heartbreaking incident occurred around 3:05 p.m. near Bath Avenue and 23rd Avenue, a busy intersection known for heavy foot traffic from students heading home from school.

According to the NYPD Highway District Collision Investigation Squad, Amira, a resident of nearby 23rd Avenue, was crossing Bath Avenue from south to north when a 2018 Blue Bird school bus, making a right turn from southbound 23rd Avenue, struck her. The young girl suffered severe trauma to her head and body and was rushed to Maimonides Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

The bus driver, 62-year-old Wawa Aurelus of East Flatbush, fled the scene but was later arrested. He now faces charges of failure to yield to a pedestrian or bicyclist and failure to exercise due care. Surveillance footage shows Amira walking and then sprinting across the street as the bus turned, highlighting the tragic split-second nature of the accident. A nearby resident described the challenge, saying, “Being that I’ve driven those types of vehicles, it’s hard to see. Because the dimensions, you’re higher, there’s things blocking.”

Neighbors expressed deep shock and grief. “As a mother, I’m speechless,” one said. The intersection remains a hub of activity for schoolchildren, emphasizing the ongoing need for pedestrian safety.

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to support Amira’s mother, Zilola, who emigrated from Uzbekistan as a single parent. The fundraiser, aiming to cover funeral and transportation expenses, quickly met its $20,000 goal, ensuring Amira can be laid to rest in her homeland.