Cops have arrested the hit-and-run school bus driver who fatally struck and dragged an 11-year-old girl in a caught-on-camera crash just paces from her Brooklyn home, officials said Friday.
The girl tried to outrun the turning bus before she was hit, video of the horrific incident shows.
The 62-year-old school bus driver was stopped by police just minutes after striking Amira Aminova as she tried to cross Bath and 23rd Aves. in Bath Beach shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday, cops said.
Amira had just purchased some chocolate at a nearby deli when she was struck in the intersection as she tried to run past the turning bus. She lived just down the block from where she was hit.
Video obtained by the Daily News shows the girl begins crossing Bath Ave. at a crosswalk, only to start running when she notices the turning yellow school bus.
As the bus veers into the girl’s path, Amira attempts to run around the oncoming vehicle, but the bus strikes her and drags her down the street, the video shows.
EMS rushed Amira to Maimonides Medical Center, where she died.
Police tracked down and stopped bus driver Wawa Aurelus a short distance away, charging him with failure to yield and failure to exercise due care. He received a desk appearance ticket and is expected to answer the charges in court in a few weeks, officials said.
It was not immediately clear if Aurelus knew he had hit anyone as he made the turn.
Aurelus was working for Consolidated Bus Service when the crash occurred. The company confirmed Thursday night that one of their buses was involved in the crash.
The school bus was heading south on 23rd Ave. when Aurelus made a right turn and struck Amira in the crosswalk.
“Maybe she thought he was going to stop for her,” said Wael Alghithi, a worker at Bath Healthy Deli and Grill, where Amira bought her chocolate. “When he hit her, he kept moving like he didn’t see her. She was under the school bus, being dragged and he kept moving. She was still holding the chocolate in her hand. … It was bad, man. Bad.”
“She came in every day. She bought chocolate and a soda,” Alghithi, 22, recalled. “She left here when she got hit. Oh my god, she didn’t usually go that way. She was all alone.”
