A little more than a year after Union County lost seven students in an accident involving a school bus, another young student is the victim of a tragedy and school board officials and law enforcement are responding.

It is now a little more than 24 hours since 5-year old Brittany Carney of Raiford was struck by her school bus. Today a community still very much in shock is standing by both families. The flag outside lake butler elementary school hung at half staff today for 5-year-old brittany carney. She was struck by her school bus in front of her home as she crossed the street yesterday afternoon.

While tragedy often divides a community, today the people of Lake Butler and Raiford are showing support for both the Carney family and the school bus driver Beverly Tyson. The sign outside of Lake Butler high school read "God bless our bus drivers."

Sheriff Jerry Whitehead spoke on behalf of law enforcement and the community, at a press conference today he said, "We've been available to the school personnel to assist them in any way we can to help the family both families the family of the little girl and the family of the bus driver."

The investigation is now in the hands of Florida Highway Patrol, and Sheriff Whitehead made it point to say that this tragedy is unlike the one that befell the community involving a school bus just a year ago."It was not related to trucking it was not related to State Road 121, it's an accident," he added.

For the other students who witnessed the accident from the school bus, crisis counselors were on hand today to care for them as well as all the students at all three local schools. Carlton Faulk, Union County Superintendent, said at the press conference, "Our teachers have been instructed to keep an eye on the kids. We do have a list of the kids that were on the first bus, the kids that were on the second bus so that we can keep an eye on those children."

Visibly shaken and still coping with the tragedy of last year's accident the superintendent says that the focus is now on maintaining a sense of normalcy for the students. in the middle of F-CAT testing students persevered to stay on schedule. "The kids probably handle it better than the adults," added Faulk.

The superintendent says that despite the fact that Tyson was a relatively new county bus driver she had gone through all the training that is required of all drivers.

By Stacey Samuel, WCJB TV 20 News