The school bus driver who struck and killed a 7-year-old boy in late January didn't have the license required to legally operate a school bus at the time of the crash, Park Forest police said.
Authorities announced Sunday that they concluded the investigation into the death of Connor Kaczmarski, a second-grade student at Mohawk Primary Center, who died after being hit by a bus Jan. 20 in the south suburb. According to investigators, the 7-year-old had been running alongside the bus and moved directly in front of the vehicle prior to being struck. The driver had just finished releasing passengers from its last bus stop when the collision occurred. According to police, it's believed the driver wasn't aware that they had struck the child.
As part of its investigation, Park Forest police reviewed the driver's Illinois Secretary of State records and discovered the individual's Commercial Driver's License and School Bus Driver endorsement had been canceled on Jan. 8, because the driver failed to provide medical exam documents, according to authorities.
As a result, the driver, who police haven't publicly named, was charged with operating a commercial vehicle with a cancelled commercial driver's license, a Class A Misdemeanor. The driver has been ordered to appear Cook County Circuit Court.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
