Teenage driver killed after being struck by school bus in Highland Township
HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A teenage boy from Highland Township was killed after being hit by a school bus on Thursday.
It happened at the intersection of Duck Lake Road and Cooley Lake Road in Highland Township.
Oakland County Sheriff's officials say 16-year-old Jordon Shenberger was driving northbound on Duck Lake Road when he turned left in front of an oncoming Huron Valley School District bus driving eastbound on Cooley Lake Road.
The crash happened just after 2 p.m. on Thursday. The driver of the bus, 62, and its two passengers, a 29-year-old man and 18-year-old man, were not hurt. Shenberger died on scene from his injuries.
"It's terrible. I mean, I'm a mother, I can't even understand," said Olivia Amaya.
Amaya is a manager at Highland House restaurant where Shenberger worked for several months.
"He just came to work, he was hardworking, he was pleasant, never any issues. He was like what you would want in an employee," Amaya stated.
Family members tell us Shenberger was a student at Lakeland High School, only had his license for a month and was mourning the loss of his grandmother who died 6 weeks ago.
They say he was kind, responsible and passionate with a bright future as a mechanic.
"We employ all these young kids here and we guide them just like the schools do and to lose one of our own it's just…it's horrible," said Amaya.
The restaurant plans to donate a percentage of sales to the family and a separate Go Fund Me has been created to help pay for funeral expenses.
"He was part of our family, the Highland House family, he's important to us and that family is important to us," said Amaya.
A life lost too soon, but always remembered.
"It's tragic. He's young and didn't even live his life so we all just got to remember that we all should inspire to be like him…hardworking, quiet and having a great attitude," Amaya stated.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office say drugs and alcohol do not appear to be involved in the crash, but they are still investigating what led up to this tragedy.
Meanwhile, the Huron Valley School District is offering additional counseling for any students and staff during this time.