A six-year-old girl died Tuesday hours after she was struck by a school bus on the 500 block of Aberdeen Road in Frankfort, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. Jenna Menias was found unresponsive with serious injuries at the scene before witnesses and first responders performed CPR and other lifesaving measures. She was taken to a local hospital and later died at a hospital in Olympia Fields.
The crash happened around 3:30 p.m. as a Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 bus carrying Frankfort School District 157-C students was in the area, according to NBC 5 Chicago. The Frankfort Police Department arrived quickly at the scene, and students aboard the bus were evaluated by emergency responders before being reunited with their families. Aerial footage captured by news crews showed two yellow school buses parked near marked police cars and emergency vehicles as the investigation got underway.
Aerial coverage of the crash site near Aberdeen Road and Heather Lane, on the residential block where the victim's family lives, showed tire skid marks and a backpack marked off by cones, as reported by CBS Chicago. Frankfort police said the incident had a profound impact on those involved, their families and the community, per the same report.
A Community in Mourning
Frankfort Mayor Keith Ogle asked residents for prayers for the child's family, as well as for witnesses and first responders who were on scene. Frankfort School District 157-C encouraged students who feel worried or upset to reach out to a trusted adult, teacher, social worker or member of a school support team, and the district said a student was transported for medical care following the crash.
The investigation is being handled as a joint multi-agency effort involving the Frankfort Police Department, the Will County Sheriff's Office, Lincoln Way Transportation and Frankfort School District 157-C, according to Patch. District 157-C and Lincoln Way Transportation are working with authorities as that inquiry continues.
Why a High School District Runs the Buses
Frankfort School District 157-C does not operate its own student bus fleet. Instead, Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 designs bus routes for local elementary students, which Frankfort adjusts, per the district. District 157-C serves students through three buildings — Grand Prairie Elementary School for PreK through second grade, Chelsea Intermediate School for grades three through five, and Hickory Creek Middle School for grades six through eight.
Open questions remain about the precise circumstances of the crash, including whether Jenna was boarding or exiting the bus, what visibility conditions were like on Aberdeen Road, and whether driver distraction or a mechanical issue played any role. Those details are subject to the ongoing reconstruction being carried out by Frankfort police and the Will County Sheriff's Office.
A Dangerous Hour for Young Pedestrians
Federal safety officials have identified the period from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. as especially dangerous for school-age pedestrians. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration review found that more school-age pedestrians were killed during that hour than at any other time.
That same NHTSA review found 162 pedestrians were killed in school-transportation-related crashes nationwide between 2015 and 2024, with children ages 5 to 10 represented among the victims. The National Safety Council has separately reported that school-bus-related crashes caused 110 deaths nationwide in 2024.
Illinois law lays out strict requirements for how school buses must unload students on public roads. Under the Illinois Vehicle Code, bus drivers are required to stop on the right side of the street, activate red flashing hazard lights and extend a stop arm before any student crosses or steps into the roadway, according to the Kryder Law Group. Separately, Illinois law includes reporting requirements for school-bus collisions resulting in injury or death.
