Utah school district, city work to increase busing safety

The death of a 10-year-old South Jordan girl who was hit by a school bus last week has devastated the community and spurred an effort to increase busing safety.

Seleny Crosby exited a southbound bus Wednesday afternoon that had pulled into the shoulder of 4000 West near 10600 South. She was crossing the street when a second bus hit her. The Welby Elementary student suffered head injuries and died Friday with her family at her side.

The driver of the second bus did not see the girl, South Jordan police spokesman Sam Winkler said. The driver of Seleny's school bus activated the four-way hazard flashers on the vehicle as the students were unloading, he said, but did not activate the yellow or red school bus loading lights or stop signs.

The Jordan School District and the South Jordan City Council are looking into ways to make students safer, including changing bus routes and drop-off spots.

On Monday, school transportation staffers and a traffic and safety engineer from the state's risk management division will drive the private HOA (homeowners association) streets off 4000 West to assess whether buses can safely navigate the roads there, according to district spokeswoman Sandy Riesgraf. District employees already have been evaluating the area, she said.

"They spent a lot of Friday out there trying to think outside the box for any way to make that stop safer," Riesgraf said in an interview Saturday.

The district also will hold a community meeting to hear residents' concerns and ideas, she said. That meeting has not yet been scheduled.

At a meeting on Tuesday, City Council members plan to wear pink ribbons in memory of Seleny and to discuss safety measures. Councilman Chris Rogers supports adding stops on the routes so children do not have to cross the street after getting off a bus.

"There's absolutely no reason that the bus should not drop off kids on the side of the street where they live," said Rogers, whose 6-year-old daughter rides to and from school in a district bus.

A Crosby family friend, Glen Cook, said Seleny was a smart girl who was competitive in karate and took classes in the sport with her twin sister. She even won several karate competitions in Texas, and was recently practicing for a tournament in Colorado, according to her obituary.

She also enjoyed running and would sometimes run up to 7 miles a day.

Seleny was also the happiest in her family to move back to Utah from Texas, as she missed being with her aunts, uncles, cousins and her grandmother, who she adored, according to the obituary. She cherished nursing her grandmother when she was ill, wanting to be a doctor like her uncle, and also loved taking care of her siblings.

Rogers and Riesgraf both said the accident has affected many in the city.

"We're all just heartbroken," Riesgraf said.

The South Jordan City Council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 1600 W. Towne Center Drive.

Reporter Michael McFall contributed to this story.

pmanson@sltrib.com

Twitter: @PamelaMansonSLC —

How to help

A trust has been established to help the family of 10-year-old Seleny Crosby, who died Friday from injuries she suffered when she was hit by a school bus. Donations to the Seleny Crosby Trust can be made at any U.S. Bank branch.