Paramedics were rushed to the Samuel Chase Elementary School on Monday morning for a serious accident.
Fire officials said 48-year-old Bernette Tucker Butler was walking in the parking lot of the Prince George's County school when she was fatally struck by a school system maintenance van that was backing out of the lot.
The accident happened shortly after 11 a.m.
Monday was a scheduled teacher planning day. There were no classes held today and no students present at the time of the accident.
"On behalf of the Prince George’s County Public Schools community, I would like to express my sincere and heartfelt sympathy to the family of the victim involved in this tragic incident at Samuel Chase Elementary School," said Dr. William R. Hite, Jr., superintendent of Prince George's County Public Schools. "We are working closely with the Prince George’s County Police Department to determine the circumstances surrounding this incident."
Alcohol and speed do not appear to be factors.
