Maryland girl, 7, critical after hit by pickup after exiting school bus

Credit: Mario Tama

Credit: Mario Tama

A 7-year-old Maryland girl is in critical condition after she was hit by a pickup truck as she exited a school bus Tuesday, WJLA reported.

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Skyla Shirriel, of Bryantown, a student at T.C. Martin Elementary School, was put into a medically induced coma, MIke Walthen, a family friend, told the television station.

The Maryland Independent, citing a news release from the Charles County Sheriff's Office, reported that witnesses saw the bus activate its flashing red lights and extend its flashing stop sign. Skyla crossed in front of the bus and crossed the southbound lane of the road when she was hit by the truck driven by a 35-year-old woman, according to the release.

"She had started crossing the street. The bus was heading north so she had actually crossed in front of the bus," Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Diane Richardson told the Independent on Tuesday. "As she was crossing the southbound lanes, she was struck by a driver of a Ford F-250 pickup truck. She had serious injuries. The driver of the pickup truck stayed on the scene."

Walthen told WJLA that his children were almost hit by the truck, too.

"The other three little boys were pretty shook up. They had a tough time last night," Walthen told the television station. “They just had questions about what happened to her. They all saw it."

Police are still investigating the case, WJLA reported.

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