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A bus driver whose vehicle hit a 15-year-old girl in Auckland today has been suspended.
The girl, a pedestrian, was struck at the intersection of Barrack Rd and Penrose Rd in Mt Wellington.
She suffered extensive head injuries and is in Auckland Hospital's critical care unit.
The company that owns the bus said it was working with police to establish exactly what happened.
Waka Pacific, part of the New Zealand Bus group, said the incident happened at 7.30am and an ambulance was called.
"Waka Pacific is currently working with the police to establish the facts relating to the incident," operations general manager Zane Fulljames said in a statement.
"Waka Pacific is extremely concerned about this incident and our thoughts are with the family."
The driver had worked for NZ Bus for four years and is considered to be experienced.
Mr Fulljames told Radio New Zealand the driver is very upset and has been offered counselling.
His suspension was pending the outcome of an internal review by the company.
Mr Fulljames said about six million people travelled each year on Waka Pacific services and the safety of passengers and other road users was a priority.
Police are to interview the bus driver, who reportedly failed to stop after hitting the girl.
Inspector Cornell Kluessien said police had tracked down the driver and were keeping an open mind about his actions.
"We're not sure if there was anything sinister about it," he told NZPA.
"We won't know until we've interviewed him. We think he was more focused on getting to the next stop on time rather than preserving evidence, but we're keeping an open mind on that."
Police appealed for a boy who was the sole passenger on the bus to contact them.
The boy, who walked off before police arrived at the scene, was described as 12 to 13, fair skinned and being of a large build.
He was wearing blue shorts and a light blue top.
He got on the bus on Mt Wellington Highway just before the Countdown supermarket and was transferred to another bus just after the incident.
- NZPA
