An 11-year-old girl died Thursday morning on the Western Slope after tripping while running to catch her school bus and falling underneath its wheel.
The incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. in Parachute, roughly 45 miles northeast of Grand Junction, police said in a news release.
The girl, a sixth-grade student at Grand Valley Middle school in Parachute, was identified Friday, by the Garfield County Coroner’s Office, as Annaliese “Anna” Backner. She died at the scene.
An autopsy is scheduled on Friday. The investigated cause of death is blunt force injuries, and the investigated manner of death is accident, the coroner’s office said in a statement.
A police investigation is ongoing.
“Our hearts and prayers and thoughts go to the family and everyone involved because this is such a tragedy,” Theresa Hamilton, the district spokesperson, told The Denver Post. The school district sent a statement to notify families on Thursday.
“Our hearts are breaking for all involved, and our priority moving forward is to offer the needed support for those grieving,” said the statement, signed by Superintendent Brad Ray.
The school district will provide mental health support for all students and staff who may need assistance processing the situation, according to the statement, which includes a list of after-hours health contacts for support if needed.
The statement asked the community to respect the grieving family’s privacy.
