Indiana woman Alyssa Shepherd, who hit four young children, killing three of them as they crossed the road to board their school bus last year, has been sentenced to four years in prison
The heartbroken mother whose three children were hit and killed as they were walking to their school bus last year, lunged at the driver who struck them during an emotional sentencing in court this week.
Indiana woman Alyssa Shepherd, 25, was sentenced to four years behind bars, three following years in house arrest and then three years of probation on Wednesday for the devastating October 2018 bus stop crash.
Her driver’s license will also be suspended for the next 10 years.
In the harrowing accident, Shepherd failed to stop for a waiting school bus on the Indiana 25 road outside Rochester on October 30, 2018 and she struck and killed 9-year-old Alivia Stahl and her 6-year-old twin half brothers, Xzavier and Mason Ingle.
During the tense sentencing the children’s mother Brittany Ingle lunged at Shepherd in the courtroom and reportedly struck her with her hand or elbow in the face, as per WPTA.
Ingle had to be restrained and was taken out of the courtroom in handcuffs and preliminarily charged with misdemeanor battery.
During the emotional sentencing the children’s mother Brittany Ingle lunged at Shepherd in the courtroom and reportedly struck her with her hand or elbow in the face. She was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs and preliminarily charged with misdemeanor battery
In the harrowing accident Shepherd failed to stop for a waiting school bus on the Indiana 25 road outside Rochester on October 30, 2018 and she struck and killed 9-year-old Alivia Stahl and her twin half brothers Xzavier and Mason Ingle
The bus driver had the vehicle’s stop arm and flashing lights activated at the time of the accident. Shepherd said it was dark and she didn’t realize the flashing lights were coming from the bus
This map shows how the children were crossing the street when Shephard’s Toyota pickup truck hit them as they were trying to reach their school bus on a rural Indiana road
Shepherd was apologetic in court as she was handed down her 10-year sentence.
‘This will be the hardest day of my life,’ Shepherd told the judge as emotions ran high in the court. She gave her apologies to the victims and told the court ‘her heart breaks for the families who feel the loss.’
Shepherd’s lawyer asked for a suspended sentence which means no time served behind bars. But the family of the victims asked for the maximum sentence of 21 and a half years behind bars.
Shepherd’s husband argued that the sentence would take a toll on their family if she served time in prison. The couple share two young children, according to WSBT.
The family of the three children killed countered saying they were already serving a life sentence that they didn’t ask for.
In the end the family of the victims were disappointed with the sentence.
Alyssa Shepherd pictured leaving Fulton County court on Wednesday
‘There’s a lot of different talk, but children still remain our greatest gift,’ Michael Schwab, the grandfather of the children killed said adding, ‘if we aren’t going to protect them and hold people accountable when they get hurt, then we may as well just get rid of the laws. They aren’t going to be worth anything if we don’t execute them and hold people accountable.’
‘If people are going to drive like that they are going to jail or prison, to some extent, that’s been done in this case. But you know, people need to understand you can’t just drive anyway you want. You’ve got to be responsible. There’s laws against reckless behavior, and if you’re not going to follow it, you’re going to be prosecuted,’ Fulton County Prosecutor Michael Marrs said.
During the trial Shepherd testified on her own behalf and described that the morning of the crash it was pitch black outside when she was driving her Toyota pickup truck.
Shepherd pictured leaving the Fulton County Courthouse in November 2018
During the trial Shepherd testified on her own behalf and described that the morning of the crash it was pitch black outside when she was driving her Toyota pickup truck. She said she didn’t realize the flashing lights were from the school bus
The bus driver had the vehicle’s stop arm and flashing lights activated at the time of the accident.
Shepherd said she saw flashing lights in the distance as she approached the road from the north and came upon a school bus heading the opposite direction that stopped to pick up young kids.
She failed to stop and ended up hitting the three children and killing them.
Eleven-year-old Maverik Lowe, who was unrelated to the siblings, was also hit but survived.
She testified that she didn’t realize the flashing lights were from the bus.
Prosecutors said that given the circumstances and that she’s a first time offender, giving her the maximum sentence would not be appropriate.
As a result of the crash, Indiana passed new legislation that beefed up penalties for drivers who ignore bus stop arms.