Officers later found the bus elsewhere in Brooklyn and arrested the 62-year-old driver.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — An 11-year-old girl was fatally struck by a school bus that turned onto Bath Avenue and left the scene Thursday afternoon, the New York City Police Department said. The crash happened at about 3 p.m. at 23rd Avenue and Bath Avenue in Bath Beach.
The child, identified by police as Amira Aminova, was taken to Maimonides Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The driver, located later with the bus in another part of the borough, was arrested overnight. Detectives from the Highway Collision Investigation Squad are examining video, vehicle data and road markings as they determine whether additional charges are warranted and whether signal timing or sightlines played a role. The death has shaken a neighborhood crowded with schools, small markets and bus routes that converge during dismissal.
Video reviewed by investigators shows Aminova entering a marked crosswalk on Bath Avenue as a yellow bus traveling south on 23rd Avenue made a right turn. The front of the bus struck her, witnesses told police, and the vehicle continued through the turn. “Our investigators are collecting evidence from multiple cameras and speaking with everyone who was at that corner,” said Chief of Transportation Michael Kemper. Officers canvassed businesses for footage, photographed the bus once it was secured and logged its route and mileage. Several students were aboard at the time, police said; no injuries were reported on the bus. The intersection was closed for hours while crash reconstruction officers measured distances and mapped the path of the vehicle.
Authorities identified the driver as a 62-year-old Brooklyn man and said he faces charges including failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk and failure to exercise due care. Officials said the bus is a 2018 Blue Bird model registered to a private school bus company; the specific school the route served was not immediately clear Friday. Detectives said they are working to determine whether the driver realized the impact and why he did not stop, questions that could affect potential counts such as leaving the scene of a collision. The Medical Examiner will finalize the cause and manner of death. Police did not release the names of any students or the company managers interviewed overnight.
Bath Beach and nearby Gravesend have seen recurring complaints about right turns across crosswalks on Bath Avenue, a corridor lined with delis, discount shops and bus depots. City crash data show pedestrians remain most at risk when vehicles turn at multi-lane intersections, especially during the after-school rush. In recent years, transportation officials have added leading pedestrian intervals and turn-calming treatments at similar corners across southern Brooklyn, but not all intersections have been updated. Neighbors said traffic can back up along 23rd Avenue as buses stack at lights, prompting hurried turns when signals change.
Police said the investigative steps now include a full mechanical inspection of the bus, a download of GPS breadcrumbs and camera systems, and interviews with dispatchers and supervisors for the route. Prosecutors will review the case file once crash reconstruction is complete. If additional counts are filed, the driver will be arraigned in Brooklyn Criminal Court. Officials said more information is expected early next week, including whether the crosswalk timing meets guidelines for routes used by schoolchildren. City Hall and the Department of Education did not immediately say whether any operational changes were ordered for buses that use Bath Avenue.
By Friday morning, a small memorial of candles and flowers had formed at the corner as residents passed on their commute. “We walk here every day after school,” said a mother who paused with her son at the tapes. A deli worker nearby said he sold the child a snack shortly before the crash. “People were waving at the bus to stop,” he said. Others stood silent under a cold wind as investigators loaded the bus onto a tow truck for a detailed inspection.
Police said the driver remains under arrest while evidence is processed. Detectives plan to release the next update after reviewing vehicle data and additional surveillance video gathered from Bath Avenue businesses.
Author note: Last updated February 6, 2026.