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October trial for northern Indiana school bus stop accident suspect

Driver who killed 3 kids told police she didn't realize the lights were a school bus until too late
Posted at 5:02 PM, Jul 10, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-10 17:08:49-04

ROCHESTER—A young northern Indiana woman charged with causing an accident in which three children died at a school bus stop will go on trial later this year.

An October 15 trial date was set Wednesday in Fulton County for 24-year-old Alyssa Shepherd.

She faces three counts of "Reckless Homicide," one count of "Passing a School Bus Causing Injury," and one count of "Criminal Recklessness Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury."

Last October's accident on State Road 25 outside Rochester took the lives of 9-year-old Alivia Stahl and her twin half brothers, six-year-old Mason and Xzavier Ingle. An 11-year-old boy was seriously injured.

They were crossing the road to get to their bus when they were hit. Shepherd told police it was dark and she did not see the children before it was too late.

The tragedy was not lost on state legislators who passed a school bus safety bill earlier this year.