Federal Investigators Issue Report On Fatal Bus Crash Near Talma
Federal Investigators Issue Report On Fatal Bus Crash Near Talma
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Federal Investigators Issue Report On Fatal Bus Crash Near TalmaThe National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report on the Oct. 30 accident where three Tippecanoe Valley students were killed and a fourth injured while getting onto their school bus.
The report could be supplemented or corrected as the investigation continues, it states.
At about 7:12 a.m. Oct. 30, a 2014 Thomas Built school bus traveling north in the 4600 block of Ind. 25 in Rochester stopped to pick up students at the designed location. A pickup truck, traveling south, hit the four children, who were crossing the road in the early morning darkness, according to the report.
The pickup was driven by Alyssa Shepherd, 24, Rochester.
Killed in the accident were twins Xzavier and Mason Ingle, 6, and their sister Alivia Stahl, 9. Maverik Lowe, who was 11 at the time and is not related to the deceased, was injured.
The Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. bus had its warning lights on and the driver had deployed the stop arm.
At the stop location, Ind. 25 is a two-lane highway with a posted speed limit of 55 mph. The mobile home park where the children resided is on the west side of the road, and an agricultural field is on the east. There is no road lighting at the location, but a “Watch for School Bus” and a “Left Curve” warning sign are posted for southbound traffic on Ind. 25.
The four children were crossing the road in the southbound traffic lane when they were hit by the Toyota pickup, according to the report.
The report states, “The NTSB continues to gather information on the student transportation policies of the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation, the planning and development of bus routes, and the safety issues related to school bus loading and unloading of students on high-speed roadways.”
NTSB also is investigating two other crashes involving school bus loading and unloading. Those crashes happened in Hartsfield, Ga., on Oct. 25, and Baldwyn, Miss., on Oct. 31.
As a result of the Georgia crash, a 10-year-old boy was killed and a 7-year-old boy suffered serious injuries. A 9-year-old boy was killed as a result of the Mississippi accident.
“All aspects of the Rochester, Indiana, crash remain under investigation as the NTSB focuses on determining the probable cause, with the intent of issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar crashes. We are working in partnership with local law enforcement agencies,” the report states.
The report and photos of the Rochester accident can be found online at https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HWY19MH003-preliminary.pdf.
Shepherd, 24, is facing five charges in connection to the incident. and is scheduled to be back in court April 18.
