2-year-old boy hit, killed by AC bus

A 2-year-old boy running into the street after a ball was struck and killed by an AC Transit bus Tuesday in the Fruitvale section of Oakland, authorities said.

The boy “ran out into the street and was killed on impact,” said Deputy Chief Darin White. The child’s name was not immediately released.

The bus, a northbound No. 54 heading toward Merritt College, struck the boy about 2 p.m. at 35th and Penniman avenues, said AC Transit spokesman Robert Lyles.

The driver, a five-year veteran of the transit agency, was being questioned by police and was to undergo drug and alcohol screening tests in keeping with protocol, Lyles said. The driver’s name has not been released.

“This is a tragic and sad loss for the family and the community,” said Officer Marco Marquez, a spokesman for the Oakland Police Department. “The officers and first responders on the scene, and the family, are heartbroken.”

A Fire Department chaplain was on the scene, counseling witnesses and residents, White said.

The area was blocked off by police tape. Latai Fatai, who identified herself as the boy’s aunt, said she was trying to visit her sister to offer comfort.

“I wanted to see if I could comfort his mom a little,” Fatai said. “It’s so terrible what happened. They wouldn’t let me go in.”