“Our main concern right now is just getting her back to good health,” parent Angela Kay said of daughter Kaydence Helfert

NEED TO KNOW

• A 13-year-old girl was hit by a school bus while bending down to adjust her backpack
• Kaydence Helfert suffered a dislocated hip, a severe pelvic fracture and internal injuries, according to her mom, Angela Kay
• “Well, I know that she’s never going to have a normal life again,” Kay said of the seventh grader

A 13-year-old girl was seriously injured after she was hit by a school bus in Indiana.

On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO) and the McCuthanville Fire Department (MFD) responded to reports of a crash involving a juvenile pedestrian and an Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation bus at around 2:57 p.m. local time, according to a news release from authorities. 

Upon arrival, officials found that the school bus had been turning around in a parking lot within the Grandin Pointe Mobile Home Park when it collided with the teenager.

Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson told 14 News that, after being dropped off by a bus, the student had bent down to adjust her backpack when another bus pulled in and began to turn around. The bus then struck the student, who was dragged underneath the vehicle’s wheels. 

The girl — who has since been identified as seventh-grader Kaydence Helfert, per 14 News — was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries, the police news release said.

Students were aboard the bus at the time of the incident, but none were injured. 

After the collision, the bus driver remained on scene and cooperated with deputies. The driver submitted to a chemical test, but there is no indication that impairment was a factor in the crash, police said.

Following the incident, Kaydence’s mother, Angela Kay, told local outlet KOLD that her daughter suffered a dislocated hip, a severe pelvic fracture and internal injuries. 

“Well, I know that she’s never going to have a normal life again,” she said. “Our main concern right now is just getting her back to good health. Whatever normal can be.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In a GoFundMe created to raise funds for Kaydence’s loved ones, a family friend said that the Thompkins Middle School student was rushed to Riley Children’s Hospital “where she now faces multiple surgeries and a long, difficult road to recovery.”

“In an instant, this family’s world was turned upside down, and their focus right now is being by her side every step of the way,” the organizer continued, detailing that Kaydence’s mom and siblings traveled three hours to support her in the hospital.

The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation addressed the incident in a statement to KOLD. 

“Our primary concern is the well-being of our student who was involved in yesterday’s accident,” they said. “She is receiving medical care, and we are keeping her and her family in our thoughts. We have been in contact with the family and ask that their privacy be respected at this time.”

The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, Sept. 5.

#13YearOld #Injured #Hit #School #Bus #Shes #Normal #Life #Mom