Mississippi girl, 7, killed by truck after exiting school bus
A 7-year-old Mississippi girl was killed and her 5-year-old brother seriously injured when they were struck by an 18-wheeler just after they got off their school bus.
The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports that Valeria Montero, 7, of Vardaman, Miss., was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Her brother suffered a broken hip and a broken femur and was airlifted to a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
The driver of the lumber truck has been charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault. He is being held in the Calhoun County Jail in Pittsboro.
Vardaman Police Chief Kenneth Scott said the accident happened shortly after school let out at 2 p.m. Wednesday The bus was headed west on Highway 8 at the edge of town. That section of the road curves to the right as it goes uphill, creating some visibility issues.
An eastbound gravel truck stopped well in front of the stopped school bus. But a second eastbound truck, an 18-wheeler hauling rough-cut lumber, didn’t stop in time.
“(The driver of the second truck) went to the left to avoid the gravel truck,” Scott said. “Then he swerved back to the right and went between the gravel truck and the bus.”
The truck driver, James Thomas Murphy, 70, of Vaiden, was taken into custody on the scene.
“A lot of people are hurting right now because of this,” Scott said. “The little girl was in my granddaughter’s class and was a good friend. And the bus was loaded because this was one of the first stops.”
Video from WTVA-TV:
