A letter sent to Kentwood High School parents identified the student who died on a school bus outside of Mattson Middle School on Wednesday morning.
That letter from the principal begins with:
I am writing today with heartbreaking news. One of our students, Oscar Lindsay, died this morning. We are working in partnership with Oscar’s family and will communicate information as it becomes available taking our lead from the family. Kentwood staff and Kent School District Safety Services will also continue to partner with law enforcement as the events of this morning are being investigated.
The high school student seemingly got on the bus to school Wednesday but didn’t get off at his Kentwood stop. He was found unconscious inside the bus sometime after his classmates were dropped off. The student was declared dead in the Mattson Middle School parking lot.
There are still several questions unanswered including how long Lindsay was on that bus and why he wasn’t noticed sooner.
It is required for school bus drivers to thoroughly check the bus after each drop-off and make sure no students are onboard before they leave that school’s parking lot. Somehow Lindsay’s unconscious body went unnoticed for an undetermined amount of time, according to Washington State and federal law.