STANDISH — Those who remember Simon Gonzalez say he was a happy and bright kindergartener. He was spunky, and he liked the outdoors and hanging with his grandpa. He always tried to be the funny guy in his family. He loved the color yellow.
When the news arrived that the 5-year-old was hit and killed by a school bus early Tuesday morning, it sent shockwaves through the state. Simon was the second Maine student to be hit and killed by a school bus in less than a month — an extraordinarily horrific series of events given that five schoolchildren have died while getting on or off of a school bus in Maine in the last 55 years.
On Tuesday, his hometown and his school, Edna Libby Elementary, struggled to process the loss. Officials offered grief counseling at Simon’s school. Family members confided in well-wishers and told reporters stories about the child they’d lost.
At the same time, authorities worked to uncover the circumstances around the crash.
Police have released few details about what happened. The sheriff’s office on Wednesday identified the driver in the fatal crash as 64-year-old Lori Ann Merrifield. She has not been charged in connection with the crash.
Merrifield was honored by the district for 25 years of service last year, according to a comment she wrote on the school district Facebook page months before the crash.
Police said Wednesday that additional information will be released as the investigation progresses.
A FAMILY GRIEVES
At Annette’s Country Skillet Diner in Naples, owner Annette Metcalf created a memorial on the diner’s counter consisting of a framed photo, candle and flowers.
The diner was a favorite spot for Simon and his grandfather to visit together at least once or twice per week. He loved the gumball machine near the door, and Metcalf said he was known to pester her brother, who runs the diner with her, for coins for the machine.
“He conned everyone into buying him bubble gum,” she said. “With his little cheeks, his little smile, you’re not going to say no.”
Simon’s great-grandmother, Stephanie Whitley, visited the diner Wednesday with other family members and remembered the boy as “very smart.” He liked fishing and ice fishing.
Most of all, he loved hanging out with his “Beepa” — the nickname he had for his grandfather, Whitley’s son, Jason Small, 48.
“He was my son’s sidekick,” said Whitley, 68. “They just did everything together.”
Whitley said Small and his wife, Heidi Small — whom Simon called “Frammy” since he couldn’t pronounce “Grammy” when he was young — were devastated by the news of Simon’s death.
“My son’s heart is ripped right out of his body,” Whitley said.
Outside his house in Casco Wednesday, Small showed off photos of Simon on his phone, including a picture the boy took with Santa during a recent visit to Home Depot. Tears ran down his cheek as he talked about what Simon wanted for Christmas this year: a gumball machine.
Small and his wife bought him one, and were waiting for the holiday to give it to him.
“It’s in there in a box, brand new,” Small said, gesturing toward his house.
He said he and his wife plan to give the gumball machine and Simon’s other gifts to children in need.
“That’s what he would want,” said Small. “He was a very giving child.”
VIGIL ORGANIZED FOR SATURDAY
Jason Cole, the executive director the Alfred-based nonprofit Laura’s Legacy of Love, started a memorial Facebook group for Simon.
Laura’s Legacy of Love has offered to provide Christmas gifts for the family and to help Simon’s older sister celebrate her birthday next week, he said.
“No money or gifts will bring back Simon or take away any of their pain, but if it takes the edge off a little, we want to give them that hope,” Cole said.
A candlelight vigil for Simon will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Standish boat launch at the corner of routes 114 and 35.
Jessica Putnam, of Harrison, grew up with Simon’s grandfather. She organized the vigil so the family can see how the community is rallying around them, she said. No one should have to go through the heartbreak they are experiencing, she said.
“Everybody needs to know they’re not alone,” she said.
People are encouraged to bring candles and wear yellow.
THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
The crash was reported just before 8 a.m. Tuesday near 437 Northeast Road, about a half-mile from Edna Libby, one of several elementary schools in MSAD 6. Simon died at the scene, according to police. His 8-year-old brother was the only student on the bus at the time of the crash.
After the accident, a mile-long stretch of road was closed for several hours. The sheriff’s office is investigating with assistance from the Maine State Police Reconstruction Unit and Commercial Motor Vehicle Unit, according to a statement from Capt. Dean Fredericks.
Jason Small didn’t refer to Merrifield by name in an interview Wednesday, but said the bus driver involved “cares about every child on the bus” and was distraught in the aftermath of the crash.
“This is going to be a hard thing for her to go through for the rest of her life,” Small said. “She has a family too. And they’re all grieving just as bad as we are. I want her to know we’re here and we’re thinking of her.”
Small said he believes “there were just too many things going on at once” at the time of the crash, citing the busy nature of the intersection where it occurred. “We have to figure out a safer way — not just at that intersection but around the country,” he said. “It has to be safe for children on the bus.”
The Small family also questioned Wednesday whether there could be additional safety mechanisms or sensors added to buses to assist drivers, or if an extra school staff member could ride along to be sure kids get on and off safely.
Clay Gleason, superintendent of MSAD 6, did not respond to specific questions about Merrifield, the driver, or confirm how long she has worked for the district. In a statement late Wednesday afternoon, he said it is standard protocol to place employees on leave when an investigation is underway.
Gleason said Edna Libby was closed Wednesday, but counselors were on hand to meet with students and staff. In a show of support for students and drivers, additional staff members rode buses for all runs on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday, he said.
“The Bonny Eagle community has been deeply impacted by this tragedy and while we can’t change the past, we must move forward together,” he said in the statement.
BUS DEATHS RARE IN MAINE
Fatal school bus crashes involving students are exceedingly unusual in Maine.
Five students have died while getting on or off school buses since 1970, according to the Maine Department of Transportation.
Two of those deaths happened in the past month.
On Nov. 21, Brayden Callahan, a 12-year-old student in Regional School Unit 13, died after he was hit by a school bus in Rockland.
A crash report says the boy was crossing in front of the bus when driver Jeffrey Colburn accelerated and ran over him. The report indicated Colburn did not keep his eyes on the road when dropping the student off.
Colburn, 65, was placed on administrative leave after the crash and no longer works for the district, according to school officials.
Brayden’s parents have retained attorneys, their lawyers announced Wednesday morning. However, no lawsuit against the school district or bus driver have been filed in state or federal court.
Jason Small said Wednesday that Callahan’s grandmother reached out to him on Facebook Tuesday night, and they exchanged text messages.
“Last night was a rough night for me, and she helped me a lot,” he said.
Small said he hopes to work with the family on dedicating a plaque in memory of both boys in Rockland, a place Small had also visited with Simon.
In 2022, a kindergarten student from MSAD 6 — the same district that was home to Tuesday’s accident — was dragged nearly 600 feet alongside a school bus in Buxton. The 6-year-old boy’s backpack got caught in the door of the bus as he was getting off.
An investigation found the bus driver drove some 573 feet at low speed while dragging the child. The boy was treated at the hospital but was not seriously injured.
Spokesperson Chloe Teboe said the Maine Department of Education does not regulate student transportation. But the department does provide “training, guidance and support” to school districts “in recognition of the importance of ensuring that students are transported to and from school safely during the academic year,” she said in an email.
The department of education provides funding to the Maine Association of Pupil Transportation to support six regional conferences and one statewide conference each year focused on training bus drivers and transportation directors. Teboe said the conferences focus on enabling transportation directors to bring high-quality training back to their districts.
In response to questions from the Press Herald, Chris Pasciuto, president-elect of the Association for Pupil Transportation, urged the public to reserve judgment.
“Every day, drivers carry an enormous responsibility, often working in darkness, traffic and challenging conditions,” Pasciuto said. “We remain deeply committed to student safety and respectfully ask for patience and compassion as investigations continue.”
