Posted on 02/22/2008 6:43:56 AM PST by Sopater
MARSHALL, MINN. - The 23-year-old woman whose van collided with a school bus was arrested Thursday afternoon and booked on suspicion of criminal vehicular operation in connection with the crash that killed four children near Cottonwood, Minn.
Alianiss Morales, of Minneota, Minn., is expected to be charged and make her first court appearance this morning, said Lyon County Attorney Rick Maes.
The Minnesota State Patrol's investigation of the crash continued Thursday, and Maes said much of the paperwork from the investigation was already on his desk.
"One [part of the investigation] is whether she was operating the vehicle in a grossly negligent manner," Maes said.
"So we need to look at what exactly witnesses identified at that particular intersection."
Maes would not elaborate on Morales' actions that led to the arrest, and declined to say whether she was speeding. Other charges are possible, but it is unlikely that other drivers involved will be charged, Maes said.
The driver of the pickup truck involved in the crash said that the van driven by Morales hit the side of the school bus at the intersection of Minnesota Hwy. 23 and County Road 24 near Cottonwood on Tuesday afternoon.
The bus skidded on its side into the pickup truck driven by James Hancock, 47, of Marshall, who is hospitalized with a broken leg, a broken hand and other injuries.
The children who died were Jesse Javens, 13, and Hunter Javens, 9, both of Cottonwood; Reed Stevens, 12, of Marshall; and Emilee Olson, 9, of Cottonwood. They were among 28 students on the bus. In addition to Hancock, eight children remained hospitalized in Sioux Falls, S.D., Marshall and Rochester.
Reactions to Morales' arrest were mixed at a prayer service Thursday.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
..."doing a job Americans refuse to do", huh?
"The state issued two identification cards under the name of Alianiss Nunez Morales. Both cards have the same name and birthdate.""In 2005, an Alianiss Nunez Morales was issued a state ID. She was five-feet four-inches and 140 pounds."
"In 2006, another state ID was issued to Alianiss Nunez Morales. She was listed as five-feet one-inch tall and only 115 pounds."
"5 EYEWITNESS NEWS did a nationwide search and found only one other person in America with the same first name, last name and middle initial."
Too many accidents and fatalities from unsafe school buses. If you homeschool them, they aren’t on them twice a day every day there’s school, driving in God knows what kid of weather to boot.
Ping
As a former bus driver, I have always wondered (and pestered the higher ups) about WHY AREN’T THERE SEATBELTS ON BUSES!? I never ever received a satisfactory answer.
I wasn't aware that any of these politicians had the power to prevent the MN state police from reporting Morales to ICE and having her deported the first time she was pulled over years ago.
“According to state records, Morales has a Minnesota identification card but does not have a valid driver’s license. She pleaded guilty in June 2006 to driving without a license and paid a $182 fine.
Recalling that incident, Sandra Keding of Montevideo said in an interview Thursday that she had been reading the newspaper in her home that afternoon when she heard gravel flying.
“I stood up from the couch and looked out my window and this car was coming right toward my house,” said Keding, 45. “The car hit the curb, came right up on my yard and stopped about 12 feet from the front of my house.”
She recalled that Morales was driving and that she was “shaking all over and was a total wreck.” When Morales tried to shift the automatic transmission on the blue Dodge Neon, she couldn’t.
“She apparently didn’t know how to drive the car,” Keding said. “I had to get in and move it. She acted like she didn’t know how to shift.”
Police arrived and ticketed Morales for driving without a Minnesota license.”
Looks like Hormel created a nuisance by attracting this woman to the US illegally. A smart lawyer could do wonders with a case like this.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Approximately 17,000 children are admitted to hospital emergency room due to school bus injuries. Every year, several children will be crushed or dragged to death by their school buses. Add to this number the injuries than are never counted in the stats, and the unreported bullying, and sexual abuse that go unreported.
Given the above it is at minimum an excellent reason never to put your child on a school bus!
The national agency that keeps track of school bus safety claims that buses are safer than cars. However, when I checked their website, they compared school bus stats to all children in cars during those hours for what ever reason. This would include teens driving other teens. They did not compare parents or guardians driving to and from school with children securely fastened in seat belts.
It is my bet, the children in a seat belt with their parent is FAR safer than on a bus.
This is a reason to homeschool only if you keep your kids locked up in your house all the time and nevertake them any where on public streets.
The “animation” isn’t very convincing.
She should be charged with murder or no less than vehicular manslaughter.
President Obama would solve this problem....the poor lady would have had a proper driver’s license.
God Bless McCain, not the best, but certainly 1,000% better than a President Obama.
Minneapolis is a “sancturary city” but how far does it’s metro area cover?
If it extends to where she lived then the Mayor and city council should be looked at as criminally liable or something of a “enabler.”
If not in the metro area, how much of their decision influnced the lack of enforcement of the laws of where Morales resides (Minneota?)?
School buses don’t have seat belts. A school bus tipped on it’s side like that means a nasty fall against the other seats and kids on the downward side.
The fact that FOUR people died from that bus simply being knocked on its side, indicates that there are some serious issues about school bus safety.
They certainly are safer in my car than that bus.
Employers who knowing hire illegals who then kill Americans should be charged with felony murder.
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