• By KORAN ADDO
• Advocate Westside bureau
• Published: Nov 18, 2009 - Page: 5B

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

MORGANZA — Counselors were called to Valverda Elementary School Tuesday to help students cope with grief over the death of a classmate struck and killed by a car as he stepped off a school bus Monday night.

Pointe Coupee Parish School Superintendent Linda D’Amico said emotions seemed calm at the school Tuesday despite the accident that took the life of first-grade student Monte Stevens, 6, of Morganza.

D’Amico said Monte was being dropped off after he attended an after-school program at the school.

Monte was in his first year at Valverda after transferring earlier this year from another parish school.

The superintendent said she met with Valverda’s teachers in the morning and had made available a team of psychologists and social workers to help Monte’s classmates deal with their loss.

“The team will continue to evaluate and do what’s necessary,” D’Amico said.

Counselors also were sent to Livonia High School Tuesday to attend to four high-school students who were on the bus when Monte was killed, D’Amico said.

Monte was fatally injured at 6 p.m. on La. 1, north of La. 420, just after he had gotten off the school bus, State Police reported.

Troopers said a sedan driven by Gloria R. Green, 61, of Morganza, struck the boy as he crossed the northbound traffic lane of La. 1.

State Police said the bus driver had stopped in the southbound traffic lane of the highway and had activated the vehicle’s safety signals at the time Monte was struck.

No one else was injured in the incident and alcohol was not involved, State Police said.

Green was arrested and booked into the Pointe Coupee Parish Detention Center on one count each of negligent homicide and failure to stop while bus signals are activated, deputies reported.

Parish officials said Green’s relatives posted a $25,000 bond Tuesday and the woman, a nurse of 20 years, was released from custody.