5-year-old North Texas boy killed by school bus identified. Community plans vigil, funeral
With permission from the family, Emma Roberson Elementary School has identified a prekindergarten student who was killed by a school bus in North Texas this week as 5-year-old Exodus Crockett.
Granbury Independent School District officials announced plans for a candlelight vigil and funeral services for the child. “Please join us to celebrate the life of our beloved student and friend, Exodus Crockett,” school officials said in a social media post on Wednesday.
The community vigil will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, at Hewlett Park, 621 E. Pearl St. in Granbury. Attendees are invited to wear clothing featuring Exodus’ favorite character, Spider-Man.
A viewing and visitation is scheduled at 10 a.m. Friday, March 21, at StoneWater Church, 911 E. Hwy 377. The funeral service will be held at the church at 11 a.m. on Friday.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family, but the preferred method for donations is a benefit account for the Crockett family at First National Bank of Granbury.
There is also a Meal Train page to organize meals for the family.
According to a Texas Department of Public Safety report, the preliminary investigation of the fatal crash found that a Granbury ISD school bus had stopped on Pecos River Drive to pick up students and had started to pull away. The 5-year-old student then ran up the driver’s side and in front of the bus, according to the report.
Exodus was taken to Lake Granbury Medical Center, where he died.
Eight children were on the bus at the time of the accident about 6 a.m. on Monday, March 17. No other injuries were reported.
The district is working with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation.
“I know you share in the devastation of this loss and may have many questions,” Granbury ISD Superintendent Courtney Morawski said in a letter to families. “We all have the expectation that students will be safe on our buses and in our district. We are already working to fully understand the situation and will share more information after we have had the time to investigate the incident.”
