BLOOMINGTON - A 42-year-old pedestrian was killed after she was struck by a school bus early Wednesday afternoon on the city's west side, authorities said.

Wanda L. Franklin of Valley View Circle was taken to BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Normal, after she was struck about 12:40 p.m. at the intersection of Wylie Drive and Valley View drives.

McLean County Coroner Beth Kimmerling said Franklin was pronounced dead shortly before 3 p.m.

Bloomington police spokesman Duane Moss said the woman stepped off a southbound city bus that had stopped on Wylie just before Valley View, and she tried to head east across the road on foot. She crossed in front of the city bus and apparently didn't see the school bus coming in the other southbound lane, he said.

"The school bus driver swerved to the east, but apparently couldn't avoid striking the woman who got off the city bus," Moss said.

A police report indicated Franklin was struck by the side of the school bus and run over.

She was heading home at the time of the accident, Kimmerling said.

The school bus was taking Unit 5 work-study students to and from job sites, and one male student was on board at the time, said Unit 5 Superintendent Gary Niehaus. That student was taken back to Normal Community West High School, and a parent or parents were called to pick him up and asked to have him checked at a medical center.

'Tragic day'

Niehaus said the district grieves for all the families affected by the accident.

"It's a tough, tragic day," Niehaus said before Wednesday night's Unit 5 school board meeting. "It's one of those things you never want to deal with. It's very difficult."

At the meeting, school board President Jay Reece called for a moment of silence for Franklin, describing the incident as a "tragic accident involving a Unit 5 employee."

The school bus driver, identified by police as Melissa L. Sloan, 38, of Lambert Drive in Normal, told police Franklin ran out in front of the bus, and she was unable to avoid Franklin, according to a police report. The city bus driver told police the woman ran in front of the school bus without looking.

Niehaus said the school bus driver, whom he declined to name, would get screenings and medical evaluations as outlined in district policy. He said he thought the driver has worked for the school district since June 2005.

A Bloomington-Normal Public Transit System route map shows the collision occurred where the Lime I route turns west onto Valley View at Wylie.

Transit system officials did not return calls for comment.

An autopy is scheduled for today.

Ryan Denham and Steve Smedley contributed to this report.