Indiana Accident News

Four special needs children killed in Lake Cicott, Indiana, school bus and truck crash

In a tragic event involving two mack trucks, a slow-moving moped, and a 15-passenger school bus, four special needs students traveling from a school in Logansport, Indiana, back to their homes in Monticello, Indiana. The multiple-vehicle accident took place on US 24 west of Logansport on Friday afternoon after school let out. The tiny town is located about 70 miles north of Indianapolis, Indiana.

According to reports, a dump truck swerved to avoid a moped that was turning out of a driveway along the highway. The dump truck swerved into the short school bus, which was forced into the middle of the highway, where it was crushed by a second oncoming truck. The bus landed, mangled, in a ditch.

Although all four children in the bus were wearing seatbelts, all were killed at the time of the crash. The victims included 10-year-olds Trevor Ingram and Tyler Geiger, 9-year-old Kale Seabolt and 5-year-old Lauren Melin. The two truck drivers and the scooter driver were uninured. The bus driver, 46-year-old Debbie DuVall of Idaville, Indiana, was taken to Fort Wayne Hospital, where she is listed in critical condition but expected to recover.

According to the Associated Press, neither truck driver was speeding or using drugs or alcohol, although routine tests for substance abuse will be held.

Ryan DuVall, the bus driver's nephew from Fort Wayne, said that although his aunt's injuries were not life-threatening, she was terribly affected when told about the children dying in the crash.

"The first thing she asked about was the condition of the kids. The news was devastating for her. They were very dear to her," DuVall said.

According to IndyStar.com, Lucile Berkshire, 75, was setting up a church yard sale at the time of the crash.

"We heard a really loud boom, and we wondered, 'What was that?' " said Berkshire. "We went back about our business and later the firetrucks started going by and they stopped just down the road, so we looked down the hill to see what happened. It was horrible."

All four children attended a special needs Twin Lakes school.

"It saddens the Twin Lakes School community to report the death of four of our students involved in a school bus accident today," said a statement issued by Superintendent Thomas Fletcher of the Twin Lakes School Corp. in Monticello.

Indiana State Police are still investigating the incident. According to reports by the Cass County Sheriff's Department, emergency workers who were at the scene of the crash will receive a critical stress debriefing to help deal with the emotional side of the incident. The school system also plans to have grief counselors available to students.

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