Driver Faces Felonies In Triple Fatal
October 31, 2018 at 5:05 p.m.
Driver Faces Felonies In Triple Fatal
By David [email protected]
Twins Xzavier and Mason Ingle, 6, and their sister, Alivia Stahl, 9, were killed by a pickup driven by Alyssa Shepherd, 24, of rural Rochester, as they were getting on the school bus at approximately 7:15 a.m. Tuesday at 4684 N. Ind. 25 in Fulton County. Their bus, driven by Robert Reid, 46, Claypool, picked them up on the west side of Ind. 25.
A fourth student hit by the truck, Maverick Lowe, 11, was flown to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne with multiple broken bones and internal injuries but was conscious by Tuesday afternoon and was scheduled for surgery. Hospital officials this morning listed the boy’s condition as
“confidential” and could not provide further information.
“Hopefully, he’ll be one bit of glimmer of hope and sunshine that we have on this otherwise dreary day,” said Sgt. Tony Slocum, Indiana State Police Peru Post public information officer.
The twins and their sister attended Mentone Elementary School. Lowe attends Tippecanoe Valley Middle School.
Shepherd was taken from the scene by ISP investigators Tuesday to be interviewed. Late Tuesday afternoon, she was served with an arrest warrant at her place of employment in Rochester, according to an Indiana State Police news release. She was charged with three counts of reckless homicide, level 5 felonies, and one count of passing a school bus, with the stop arm extended, causing injury, a Class A misdemeanor. Her preliminary bond was $15,000 surety and she has bonded out. She has a court date set for Nov. 13.
Common Practice
Slocum said school buses picking up students on state roads is “quite common. It’s how my kids were picked up when they rode the school bus.”
He said the bus involved in Tuesday’s incident had the proper equipment with the stop-arm out.
“It was dark at the time, but, as you know, when those lights are activated you can see them from pretty far away,”?he said. “If you’re going to be driving a vehicle in the early morning hours or early evening hours, you’ve got to expect school buses are going to be out there. And if you’re following them, you’ve got to expect that they’re going to stop.”
An extended stop-arm tells drivers they need to stop because children are getting on or off the school bus, and they have the right-of-way.
“This is not a common occurrence of having children die getting on a school bus. One time is too many, but it’s not something I see as occurring on a frequent basis,” Slocum said.
The Indiana Department of Transportation sent a representative to the scene Tuesday, and the National Transportation Safety Board announced on Twitter that it is sending investigators to the scene today.
Three students were on the bus when the accident occurred. He said those students were put on another bus.
Bus Pickup Policies
The accident has prompted some school corporations to review their bus pickup policies, Wawasee Superintendent Dr. Tom Edington said.
He said Wawasee has fewer than 10 students who are picked up on state roads – Ind. 13 and 15. “In the last few years, we studied our routes and reworked them so we wouldn’t be picking up students on our busy roads,” he said.
He listed Wawasee’s other busy roads as Armstrong Road, Old 15, Syracuse-Webster Road, Syracuse-Milford Road and CR 300E.
“We try to route the buses so children of elementary age don’t have to cross a road to get on and off the bus,” he said. “We haven’t done that 100 percent with the middle school and high school students in the past because to do that might mean a student would get on the bus earlier, ride the bus for a while and go by their house again.”
He said parents have said it’s OK if older students need to cross the road, but Wawasee has made it a priority that younger students don’t have to.
He said thanks to computer routing software, Wawasee can work with drivers to configure the best routes possible.
“I think every school with knowledge of it is thinking about what we can do,” he said. “We feel for everyone involved that way because we know with every measure we could put in place, tragedy still happens,” Edington said.
Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said WCS “is heartbroken over the recent tragedy at Tippecanoe Valley Schools. Our thoughts, prayers and support go out to the entire Tippy Valley community.”
He said review of bus route safety and security is a collaboration between the transportation department and other local authorities and individuals. “There are many changing factors that can require modifications to a student pickup and drop-off, including safety of location, traffic flow, construction and weather. These changes are reviewed consistently,” Hoffert said.
Widespread Reaction
Pamela Austin lives in the mobile home park where the children were killed, though she said she didn’t really know the family. She said she used to drive a bus when she lived in Illinois.
“It’s very devastating. It’s very emotional. And to think that somebody lost three of their children, I couldn’t even imagine what those poor parents are going through and what this woman who hit these children is going through. Anyone involved, I can’t even imagine what they’re going through,” Austin said.
Tuesday’s accident has drawn national interest, with news stations from South Bend, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and Chicago descending on the area.
“Anything involving children brings a lot of media coverage and we understand that, and especially when young people die tragically in doing something so innocent as just trying to go to school in the morning. .. Bringing awareness to people having to stop for that school bus arm is just another way that everybody can contribute to what is a very tragic event, to maybe give some kind of hope and maybe some good can come out of it,” Slocum said.
Whitko Community Schools released the following statement: “It is never easy when a tragedy hits this close to home. We are grieved by the loss of the students killed in this morning’s traffic accident at Tippecanoe Valley Schools. Every year we celebrate our schools and enjoy each other’s company in sport, academia and even within our communities our students connect locally at church and through social events. But today, we mourn with you, pray with you, and grieve with you. Our most sincere condolences.”
State Rep. Dave Wolkins said, “My heart goes out to the families who are suffering an unimaginable loss. As they mourn, they will need our prayer and support. Our community must wrap their collective arms around those impacted by today’s tragic event, and not let go.”
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said, “Words cannot express the depth of sorrow Janet and I feel, which only pales in comparison to what family, friends, teachers, classmates and community are feeling right now. Today, and for many more to come, we mourn their loss. I ask Hoosiers around the state to join us by sending your deepest prayers for the strength needed to endure such a time.”
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Twins Xzavier and Mason Ingle, 6, and their sister, Alivia Stahl, 9, were killed by a pickup driven by Alyssa Shepherd, 24, of rural Rochester, as they were getting on the school bus at approximately 7:15 a.m. Tuesday at 4684 N. Ind. 25 in Fulton County. Their bus, driven by Robert Reid, 46, Claypool, picked them up on the west side of Ind. 25.
A fourth student hit by the truck, Maverick Lowe, 11, was flown to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne with multiple broken bones and internal injuries but was conscious by Tuesday afternoon and was scheduled for surgery. Hospital officials this morning listed the boy’s condition as
“confidential” and could not provide further information.
“Hopefully, he’ll be one bit of glimmer of hope and sunshine that we have on this otherwise dreary day,” said Sgt. Tony Slocum, Indiana State Police Peru Post public information officer.
The twins and their sister attended Mentone Elementary School. Lowe attends Tippecanoe Valley Middle School.
Shepherd was taken from the scene by ISP investigators Tuesday to be interviewed. Late Tuesday afternoon, she was served with an arrest warrant at her place of employment in Rochester, according to an Indiana State Police news release. She was charged with three counts of reckless homicide, level 5 felonies, and one count of passing a school bus, with the stop arm extended, causing injury, a Class A misdemeanor. Her preliminary bond was $15,000 surety and she has bonded out. She has a court date set for Nov. 13.
Common Practice
Slocum said school buses picking up students on state roads is “quite common. It’s how my kids were picked up when they rode the school bus.”
He said the bus involved in Tuesday’s incident had the proper equipment with the stop-arm out.
“It was dark at the time, but, as you know, when those lights are activated you can see them from pretty far away,”?he said. “If you’re going to be driving a vehicle in the early morning hours or early evening hours, you’ve got to expect school buses are going to be out there. And if you’re following them, you’ve got to expect that they’re going to stop.”
An extended stop-arm tells drivers they need to stop because children are getting on or off the school bus, and they have the right-of-way.
“This is not a common occurrence of having children die getting on a school bus. One time is too many, but it’s not something I see as occurring on a frequent basis,” Slocum said.
The Indiana Department of Transportation sent a representative to the scene Tuesday, and the National Transportation Safety Board announced on Twitter that it is sending investigators to the scene today.
Three students were on the bus when the accident occurred. He said those students were put on another bus.
Bus Pickup Policies
The accident has prompted some school corporations to review their bus pickup policies, Wawasee Superintendent Dr. Tom Edington said.
He said Wawasee has fewer than 10 students who are picked up on state roads – Ind. 13 and 15. “In the last few years, we studied our routes and reworked them so we wouldn’t be picking up students on our busy roads,” he said.
He listed Wawasee’s other busy roads as Armstrong Road, Old 15, Syracuse-Webster Road, Syracuse-Milford Road and CR 300E.
“We try to route the buses so children of elementary age don’t have to cross a road to get on and off the bus,” he said. “We haven’t done that 100 percent with the middle school and high school students in the past because to do that might mean a student would get on the bus earlier, ride the bus for a while and go by their house again.”
He said parents have said it’s OK if older students need to cross the road, but Wawasee has made it a priority that younger students don’t have to.
He said thanks to computer routing software, Wawasee can work with drivers to configure the best routes possible.
“I think every school with knowledge of it is thinking about what we can do,” he said. “We feel for everyone involved that way because we know with every measure we could put in place, tragedy still happens,” Edington said.
Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said WCS “is heartbroken over the recent tragedy at Tippecanoe Valley Schools. Our thoughts, prayers and support go out to the entire Tippy Valley community.”
He said review of bus route safety and security is a collaboration between the transportation department and other local authorities and individuals. “There are many changing factors that can require modifications to a student pickup and drop-off, including safety of location, traffic flow, construction and weather. These changes are reviewed consistently,” Hoffert said.
Widespread Reaction
Pamela Austin lives in the mobile home park where the children were killed, though she said she didn’t really know the family. She said she used to drive a bus when she lived in Illinois.
“It’s very devastating. It’s very emotional. And to think that somebody lost three of their children, I couldn’t even imagine what those poor parents are going through and what this woman who hit these children is going through. Anyone involved, I can’t even imagine what they’re going through,” Austin said.
Tuesday’s accident has drawn national interest, with news stations from South Bend, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and Chicago descending on the area.
“Anything involving children brings a lot of media coverage and we understand that, and especially when young people die tragically in doing something so innocent as just trying to go to school in the morning. .. Bringing awareness to people having to stop for that school bus arm is just another way that everybody can contribute to what is a very tragic event, to maybe give some kind of hope and maybe some good can come out of it,” Slocum said.
Whitko Community Schools released the following statement: “It is never easy when a tragedy hits this close to home. We are grieved by the loss of the students killed in this morning’s traffic accident at Tippecanoe Valley Schools. Every year we celebrate our schools and enjoy each other’s company in sport, academia and even within our communities our students connect locally at church and through social events. But today, we mourn with you, pray with you, and grieve with you. Our most sincere condolences.”
State Rep. Dave Wolkins said, “My heart goes out to the families who are suffering an unimaginable loss. As they mourn, they will need our prayer and support. Our community must wrap their collective arms around those impacted by today’s tragic event, and not let go.”
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said, “Words cannot express the depth of sorrow Janet and I feel, which only pales in comparison to what family, friends, teachers, classmates and community are feeling right now. Today, and for many more to come, we mourn their loss. I ask Hoosiers around the state to join us by sending your deepest prayers for the strength needed to endure such a time.”
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