A family in Lancaster County, South Carolina, is mourning the shocking loss of their 6-year-old girl, who died waiting for the school bus last week. Jerrnia Horne and her grandmother, Beatrice Mayson, had been waiting for the bus together the morning of February 28, when a passing vehicle suddenly struck the little girl as her grandmother watched helplessly.
Jerrnia and her grandmother were waiting for the bus at 6:30 a.m., just like they did every day.
As the two stood patiently by the side of the road, a 39-year-old woman driving a truck on Kershaw Camden Highway allegedly hit the little girl, who was a student at Heath Springs Elementary School, while she was still grasping her grandmother's hand.
"We were on the sidewalk," Mayson told local news station WSOC. "Then, I saw the black truck coming."
After the truck struck the little girl, the grandmother said she tried calling to her and yelling her name. "[But] I can't hear no voice," she recalled.
EMTs arrived and performed CPR on Jerrnia before she was rushed to Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte.
But it was already too late. Jerrnia was later pronounced dead at the hospital, after being unable to recover from her injuries.
A family neighbor who spoke to WSOC told a reporter about being on the scene soon after the accident and seeing the tragedy unfold.
“I walked across there and talked to the little girl’s sister,” said the neighbor, whose name has been withheld. “She said 'My little sister got run over.' She was crying.”
Police are still investigating the circumstances of the accident, and authorities have yet to confirm if the driver will face any charges.
School Safety Director Bryan Vaughn told WSOC that the little girl's death was "one of the darkest days that you can have as a school employee.”
In the meantime, Jerrnia's elementary school issued a statement about her death, explaining the details surrounding the accident and offering condolences to her family:
"We have sent school personnel to the hospital and additional counselors to Heath Springs Elementary. We are limited in the amount of information that can be released at this time but please keep the child and all others involved with this accident in your thoughts and prayers."
In the days since her death, Jerrnia's family has also been sharing memories of the little girl they lost.
Rubin Bend, Jerrnia's stepfather, told WSOC that the little 6-year-old was "always happy."
"If we had a bad day, she would be around to light the day up," he said. "I miss my baby. I miss her so much."
Jerrnia's mother, Patricia Mayson, is determined to get justice.
Her mother said she's hoping that they'll receive answers soon.
“I want justice for my baby girl," she told WSOC. "I want justice for my baby girl. She didn’t deserve this.”
