Community, lawmakers respond to death of girl struck, killed by school bus

Following the hit-and-run that killed Amira Aminova, 11, in Bath Beach, the community and lawmakers are asking for traffic safety in the area and support for the victim’s family.

Police said that on Feb. 5 at 3:05 p.m., a school bus driver traveled south on 23rd Avenue and made a right turn onto west Bath Avenue when Aminova was crossing in the marked crosswalk. The bus hit her, leaving her with trauma to her head and body.

EMS rushed her to Maimonides Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

The driver, Wawa Aurelus, was charged with motor vehicle failure to yield to a pedestrian or bicyclist and failure to exercise due care.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help support Aminova’s mother Zilola and funeral costs.

The page states that Amira and her mother came to the United States from Uzbekistan, “several years ago in search of a better life.”

“Today, Zilola is experiencing the worst pain a mother can endure — the loss of her only child, far from her homeland, far from family, carrying a grief that cannot be put into words,” the page states. “Nothing can heal this wound. Nothing can replace Amira’s smile, her laughter, her life. But in this darkest moment, we can come together and show Zilola that she is not alone. We are raising funds to help bring Amira back to Uzbekistan and to cover funeral and other necessary expenses. We cannot take away a mother’s pain, but we can at least ease the financial burden during this heartbreaking time.”

As of Feb. 11, $38,469 has been raised.

Assemblymember William Colton sent a letter to the New York City Department of Transportation urging them to conduct a traffic study of Bath Avenue.

“The fact is, there have been numerous accidents on Bath Avenue, a busy street near many schools, childcare facilities and religious institutions, as well as the senior center at St. Finbar, and it’s long past time that the city do a study to determine what can be done to make crossing this street safer, to prevent such tragedies in the future,” Colton said. “I am hoping not only that the city initiates a traffic study of Bath Avenue, but that it expedites it. The sooner safety measures can be brought to bear along this strip, the better it will be for the many people who live, work and go to school in the area.”

Councilmembers Kayla Santosuosso and Susan Zhuang also released a joint statement on the fatal hit-and-run.

“We have been in close contact with the NYPD since the incident and are awaiting further details on how this could have happened, particularly given that it occurred in broad daylight at an intersection with a working traffic signal and that the victim had the clear right of way to cross,” the statement read. “It goes without saying that our children should be able to walk the streets of our neighborhoods safely and without risking their lives. As two elected officials who represent this district, we will advocate for and pursue whatever intervention would have saved this young girl’s life, and we will do so when further crucial details emerge about this incident.”

They added that they sent crisis management teams to IS 281, the school Aminova attended, for her fellow classmates and teachers.

“I want to thank the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for being on scene to work with the NYPD 62nd Precinct to weigh charges,” State Sen. Steve Chan posted on Facebook. “Drivers- please use extra caution. Slow down. Pedestrians- please cross at the crosswalks. Use extra care.”

Bath Avenue has been the site of fatal collisions in past years.

In 2023, Xia Ying Chen, 66, died and her granddaughter, 2, was injured after they were hit by a pick-up truck while crossing on Bath and 25th avenues.

Also, in 2020, Sama Ali, 7, was crossing at the intersection of Bay 23rd Street and Bath Avenue on a scooter when she was hit by an armored truck. Ali was pronounced dead at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn.