North Stonington, Connecticut — A North Stonington family and a grieving school community are mourning the death of sixth grader Torren O’Grady, who was fatally injured in a bicycle crash involving a school bus Wednesday morning.
O’Grady was a student at North Stonington Elementary School. Connecticut State Police said he was riding his bicycle on Old Colony Road shortly before the start of the school day when the bus reached the intersection with Pinecrest Road.
Police said the bus stopped at a stop sign before turning onto Pinecrest Road. As the bus entered the intersection, O’Grady also entered the area and collided with the bus’s left front wheel.
The crash happened at about 8:30 a.m., just five days after students had returned to school for the new academic year.
The school district responded by dismissing students early and making counselors and emotional support dogs available to students and staff. School officials said they are continuing to work with state police as the investigation moves forward.
The tragedy has also brought residents together outside the school community.
The Congregational Church of North Stonington opened its doors to people looking for a place to grieve, reflect or pray. Pastor Sue Latourette said the community’s immediate priority is supporting one another and, above all, O’Grady’s family.
The sixth grader was also part of the local youth lacrosse community. O’Grady played for the Stonington Bears, whose members expressed their support for his family and said they would look for an appropriate way to remember him in the future.
News of O’Grady’s death has drawn condolences from local and state leaders. Gov. Ned Lamont said state police and the state Department of Education are prepared to assist North Stonington schools and students as they cope with the loss.
Lamont also urged Connecticut drivers to use extra caution around school buses, school zones, bicyclists and children traveling to and from school.
The investigation into the crash remains ongoing. Authorities have not announced any charges, and investigators are continuing to gather information about what happened. Officials are also seeking witnesses or video that could help clarify the circumstances surrounding the collision.
For a community still at the beginning of a new school year, the loss has left classmates, families, teachers and neighbors facing a tragedy that has touched nearly every part of North Stonington.
