10-year-old Missouri boy dies after falling under school bus

A 10-year-old boy died after he was run over by a school bus in Missouri. (REUTERS)

A 10-year-old Missouri boy died Friday after he was run over by a school bus, officials said.

The boy, a fourth grader in Poplar Bluff, was running to catch the bus when he tripped and fell under the vehicle's wheels, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said.

Shortly after the incident, which occurred on Crestwood Drive, a person driving behind the bus called authorities.

The boy, later identified as Zjequalin Cody, was taken to a local hospital but died from what was determined to be blunt force trauma.

A 39-year-old man was driving the school bus. Poplar Bluff school district Superintendent Scott Dill said in a statement the bus driver was unaware that Cody was chasing after the bus.

Other students were riding in the bus at the time of the incident, many asking why the boy died, KFVS reported.

In a statement, according to KFVS, the Poplar Bluff School District said that it “was saddened to learn that one of our middle school students was involved in a fatal accident this morning.”

“The student was running to catch the bus unbeknownst to the driver and reportedly tripped and fell under the wheels, according to the Highway Patrol. The Major Crash Team is on the scene performing a mechanical inspection with our full cooperation,” the statement continued.

A crisis center and grief counseling were both available at the school on Friday but “grief counseling professionals will continue to be available indefinitely where they are needed," the school said. "Please take care of each other as we work through this sad, sad day."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.