High school senior on bike killed by school bus driver

A 17-year-old Florida student was killed while pulling up to his high school on his bicycle when he was hit by a school bus driven by a 78-year-old driver, officials said.

Sherman Vannoy was pedaling near the entrance to Lake Minneola High School in Clermont just before 7 a.m. Monday when he was fatally struck, officials told ClickOrlando

The teen was on a marked crosswalk at the intersection when the elderly female driver tried to make a turn to enter the school parking lot, Florida Highway Patrol said.

When the driver spotted the bicyclist, she tried to avoid a crash by swerving left, but the front of the bus struck the teen anyway, a crash report stated.

The bus then careened off the road, before slamming into a stop sign and a chain-link fence.

The 17-year-old pupil — who was not wearing a helmet at the time — was rushed to South Lake Hospital, where he died from his injuries, officials said.

The bus driver, Mary Laurenzi, from Leesburg, escaped unharmed and remained at the school, troopers told the outlet.

“She is distraught, as you might imagine she would be,” said Sherri Owens, communications coordinator with Lake County Schools.

Laurenzi has worked for the school district since November 2021. She was placed on administrative leave Monday pending the outcome of the crash investigation.

An 18-year-old special needs student and a 55-year-old woman bus monitor who were onboard the bus at the time of the deadly collision were not hurt, reported the Daily Commercial.

Lake Minneola High School’s football team honored Vannoy, who was not a player, with a moment of silence at its Monday night game.

Minneola City Councilman Erick Hernandez mourned the student’s heartbreaking death in a Facebook post.

“No words can adequately express the profound sadness and grief that we are feeling as we extend our deepest condolences to the family of the student who has left us far too soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this unimaginably difficult time,” he wrote.

“This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing every moment we have with our loved ones. It is a reminder that, as a community, we must come together to support one another in times of sorrow and loss,” Hernandez added.