BROOKINGS — A collision between a Brookings school bus on a regular route and a 16-year-old girl on a bicycle left the girl dead at the scene at the corner of Fourth and Main in downtown Brookings on Friday morning.

According to Brookings Police Chief Michael Drake, who was at the scene, the small yellow bus was driving east on Fourth Street — between Ray’s Corner and the former Ram Pub — and attempting to make a right on Main Street. The bicyclist was traveling north on Main Street and attempting to cross Fourth Street.

A Brookings School Bus sits parked on Main Street after a fatal collision around 10 a.m. Friday morning.

Both apparently entered the intersection at the same time and the right front of the bus struck the bicyclist, who then struck the street, killing her.

She was pronounced dead at the scene by the Brookings County Coroner, Drake said. The 16 year-old was not delinquent from school, he added.

The bus was being driven by a regular bus driver, 46-year old Tami Varpness, of Brookings, who had just finished their route and was set to return to the garage, Drake said. No passengers were on board when the crash occurred.

Brookings Superintendent of Schools Summer Schultz released a statement late Friday that read in part"

"The bus was returning from a regular route when the accident occurred. There were no students on board and the bus was heading back to the bus barn. While the student did not attend
Brookings schools, our community is small enough that there are connections that make this news very difficult to process. We are bringing additional counselors to support anyone, including students and staff, who need assistance during this challenging time."

While the investigation is ongoing,  and police will review  video as well as eyewitness accounts and the crash reconstruction, there did not appear to be any criminal element, Drake said.

Police taped off the scene and the South Dakota Highway Patrol was on the scene beginning to reconstruct the accident shortly after 11 a.m.

Brookings Police, Brookings County Sheriff's  deputies, the Highway Patrol, EMTs and the Brookings Fire Department all responded to the scene after a 911 call was made shortly before 10:30 a.m.

Linehan is the Register’s managing editor and welcomes comments at jlinehan@brookingsregister.com.