Retired Bucks County teacher struck, killed by DART bus in library parking lot

A retired Bucks County teacher was struck and killed by a bus in a library parking lot earlier this week.

Officials say Katherine "Kitty" Semisch was hit by a DART bus in the parking lot of the Bucks County Free Library in Doylestown around 3 p.m. Monday.

The 67-year-old was rushed to Doylestown Hospital, where she died.

In an interview with Action News' Caroline Goggin on Wednesday evening, her daughters said they rushed to the hospital to be by their mother's side.

"We got a chance to see her, and it was really special to be able to say goodbye," said Lucy MacNichol, one of Semisch's daughters. "I think she was already gone, but we got to see her. She looked beautiful."

According to the Bucks County Coroner's Office, Semisch's cause of death was determined to be "blunt impact injuries of torso." Her manner of death has been listed as an accident.

Speaking about her mom, Maggie Semisch said, "I have moments of just thinking about the things that she's not going to be there for, and it's so sad. But then I think about all the things she was there for."

Semisch's daughters told Action News their mom taught English at Central Bucks West High School for 26 years.

"It wasn't just about writing a good sentence or using the right words," MacNichol said of her mother's teaching career. "She was really sort of coaching them about how to view life, embrace life, and live life to its fullest."

Semisch's daughters said she was also politically involved, having volunteered with several organizations, including Planned Parenthood.

Most recently, Semisch was featured in the PBS docuseries called "Bucks County USA."

MacNichol said her mother was "willing to speak with anyone about anything and meet them where they were."

"She was involved in so much, and just hearing a little bit of the stories just gives us so much comfort to feel like we're close to her," she added.

Semisch's daughters said they will remember their mother as someone who was full of life and optimism, and a person who believed the best in people.

"We wanted her for longer, but we got to have her for the time we did, and we're really, really fortunate," said Maggie Semisch.

Semisch also leaves behind her husband of almost 50 years, her son, and three grandchildren.