More details released about 7-year-old Tyrone Area student killed at school bus stop
A GoFundMe was created for the 7-year-old boy who was fatally struck by a vehicle and found dead at a bus stop in Huntingdon County on Thursday.
Nick Woomer, a second-grade student at Tyrone Elementary, was found by a Tyrone Area School District bus driver at 7:06 a.m. Thursday near his residence on Huntingdon Furnace Road in Franklin Township.
Huntingdon County Coroner Paul Sharum performed an autopsy Friday at Windber Medical Center and said Woomer died of blunt force trauma and ruled his death accidental.
Police interviewed the driver, obtained a search warrant for a vehicle that was in the area at the time and confirmed Woomer was “run over at a slow speed.”
In a press release, police said investigators discovered a delivery was made to the residence at the same time Woomer was waiting for the bus. The delivery truck was towed from the scene and was processed by police, who will also analyze tire track evidence to evaluate how the truck struck Woomer.
The GoFundMe was organized Friday and reached its initial goal of $8,000 to pay for funeral expenses in about an hour. According the page, 180 people donated $8,177.
The goal was then raised to $15,000, which was also reached.
“While there are so many hard decisions and plans that need to be made in light of this tragedy, we want to lessen the financial burden by raising funds to pay for the funeral,” the GoFundMe organized by Sarah Lauder said. “Nick was loved by so many people in the community and school. He was such a happy, silly, loving boy who will be very missed by all who knew him.
Superintendent Cathy Harlow issued a statement on Facebook and the school district also posted a transcript of the statement that was made to students Thursday on their website.
“You may have noticed that people seemed sad here at school today. I want to give you some information about what happened,” the statement said. “There was an accident this morning. A student that you may have known or may have been friends with died today.”
Harlow also said on-site counseling was being offered by district personnel and additional crisis resources were available for students.
“People are here to help you if you are feeling sad and would like to talk with someone. It is OK to talk about your feelings and I really want you to talk to someone at home tonight that you feel close to about how you are feeling,” the statement said. “We should not keep our feelings inside. The next few days may be hard, but things are going to be OK. We are going to take care of each other.”
In a second Facebook post, the school district said it appreciates the many offers of assistance and continues to grieve the family’s “profound loss.”
“The administration and staff embrace its responsibility to nurture our students’ social and emotional well-being,” the post said. “This is a difficult time for everyone, but I am confident that our school community will come together as we remember our student and classmate.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also issued a press release urging motorists to exercise caution following “a string of tragic tragedies” in five states, including Pennsylvania.
This story was originally published November 2, 2018 at 4:26 PM.