The village of New Square is mourning the death of an 8-year-old boy who was struck by a school bus while walking home from school.

Ramapo police say the accident occurred around 6 p.m. at the intersection of Clinton Lane and Stern Street.

According to investigators, it appears the boy stepped in front of a school bus that was coming through the loop to take students home after dismissal. The child was pronounced dead at the scene, just feet away from his school.

Police had the area cordoned off for hours as they collected evidence, took measurements and conducted interviews. They noted that the bus driver stayed on the scene and was cooperating with officials.

Investigators acknowledged that tragic cases like this can be difficult for even the most seasoned members of law enforcement. "It can be traumatic for the officers who respond, but we do have a wellness team to support officers who are here if they need anything, and often they will do a debrief after the fact, and that will probably be the case in this situation because it was a young child," says Ramapo Police Lt. Blaine Howell.

Ramapo police are continuing their investigation, with their accident reconstruction team also working on the case.