School bus driver who struck, killed 7-year-old boy in Park Forest didn’t have valid license: police

PARK FOREST, Ill. (WLS) — A school bus driver who struck and killed a 7-year-old boy last month didn’t have a valid license to operate the vehicle at the time of the crash.

Park Forest police say Connor Kaczmarski had been running alongside the bus and moved directly in front of it before getting hit.

Police said the incident happened in the 100-block of Walnut Street shortly before 3:15 p.m on January 20. Family started life-saving measures, which paramedics and emergency responders then took over.

The boy was taken to Franciscan Health Olympia Fields Hospital where he died from his injuries.

Police believe the driver was not aware that they had struck the child, however, the driver was charged with operating a commercial vehicle without a valid license and ordered to appear Cook County Court next month.