9-Year-Old Boy Fatally Struck by School Bus During Morning Walk

A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded in Brooklyn when a 9-year-old boy was killed after being struck by a private school bus during his morning walk.

Authorities say Yoel Jacobowitz was hit around 8:15 a.m. on Friday, May 1, as a private yeshiva bus made a turn from Lee Avenue onto Lorimer Street in Williamsburg. According to the New York City Police Department, the young boy was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after the collision.

Residents say the intersection where it happened is notoriously dangerous.

“The traffic here is crazy,” one local told ABC 7. “There needs to be some guidance and some rules.”

Investigators revealed that the 49-year-old bus driver initially drove away after the crash. He later returned after being flagged down by a bystander who informed him of what had happened.

Community members were left shaken by the devastating loss.

“I’m sorry for the mother,” said nearby resident Rosa Baez. “I’m a mother too. I was very careful. I feel very bad.”

City council member Lincoln Restler, who visited the scene, said the child may have been caught in the driver’s blind spot at the time of the crash.

“This is just a tragedy. I have no words,” Restler said. “I’m heartbroken for the family, for this whole community in Williamsburg.”

The intersection has reportedly been under construction and lacks clear crosswalks and street markings—something residents say has made an already busy area even more dangerous. Now, locals and city leaders are calling on the Department of Transportation to step in before another life is lost.

“It’s a very, very busy intersection,” another resident said. “We have a lot going on — a lot of stores and a lot of people crossing over. We need something to be done so this doesn’t keep happening.”

Hours after the tragedy, Zohran Mamdani addressed the incident, expressing heartbreak over the loss.

“Children should be safe walking around our city,” he said. “This horrific road death is a painful reminder that we must continue to use every tool available to make our streets safe for all New Yorkers.”