Four special needs students are dead after a terrible school bus accident just outside of Logansport.
Killed were five-year-old Lauren Melin, nine-year-old Kale Seabolt, and Trevor Ingram and Tyler Geiger, both 10 years old. All of the children lived in Monticello and attended elementary schools in Logansport that catered to their special needs.
Police say it happened just before 3 p.m. Friday afternoon at the intersection of U.S. 24 and U.S. 35.
The bus, out of Monticello’s Twin Lakes School Corporation, was taking four elementary students home when the accident happened.
A dump truck tried to slow down for a moped making a turn but swerved into the bus instead.
The bus flipped onto its side then a second dump truck struck the roof of the bus.
All four victims were pronounced dead on the scene while the bus driver, 46-year-old Debbie Duvall of Idaville, was flown to a Fort Wayne hospital.
“You have a moped followed by two dump trucks headed east bound on U.S. 24. The moped stopped to make a left hand turn to go north, when the semi immediately behind the driver slammed on his brakes which caused the second truck to go into the westbound. It clipped the rear left portion of the school bus causing the school bus to go on its side and slide into the east bound lanes where it was struck in the roof by a second dump truck,” explains Sgt. Tony Slocum from Indiana State Police.
The bus was leaving Logansport on its way back to Monticello. It is a daily commute as part of a special education program.
The drivers of the moped and dump trucks are expected to be fine.
Police say drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a factor.