A bus driver with the Fulton County Schools died Monday after being struck by a school bus at the refueling station at the school system’s Heath Street transportation facility in Fairburn.

Sixty-one-year-old East Point resident Rachael McKee, a 17-year veteran bus driver for Fulton County schools, was hit by a school bus near 9 a.m. as drivers were returning from their morning bus routes, said Fulton County Schools communication director Mitzi Edge.

Edge said McKee was walking across the lot at the refueling station. Though the exact circumstances are still being investigated, Edge said McKee had been waiting to have her bus refueled when she left the bus for unknown reasons and was struck by another bus. The bus that hit McKee was in the refueling line, Edge said.

“She was very much loved and very respected. This is a very sad and very unfortunate incident,” said Edge. “We are very sad in Fulton County. We are a very tight-knit family. We have approximately 750 bus drivers and they are naturally taking this very hard. We do have counselors available for our drivers. Our thoughts and our prayers are with the family of the driver who was killed.”

Edge said parents of the children who ride McKee’s bus were notified of the accident and counselors were available at Tri-Cities High School, Paul West Middle School and Kipp Academy, the schools serviced by McKee.

McKee’s name was not immediately released so that her family could be notified.

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