Alyssa Shepherd of Indiana allegedly ran a stop arm and hit four students, killing three and seriously injuring another. She is charged with reckless homicide and a misdemeanor count for passing a school bus with the stop arm extended, causing injury. Photo courtesy Indiana State Police

Alyssa Shepherd of Indiana allegedly ran a stop arm and hit four students, killing three and seriously injuring another. She is charged with reckless homicide and a misdemeanor count for passing a school bus with the stop arm extended, causing injury. Photo courtesy Indiana State Police

ROCHESTER, Ind. — The driver of a pickup truck allegedly involved in a crash that killed three students and injured another as they were crossing a road to board their school bus on Tuesday morning has been arrested, police said.

On Tuesday afternoon, at approximately 4:09 p.m., Alyssa L. Shepherd, 24, was arrested at her place of employment, according to a news release from the Indiana State Police. Shepherd received three felony charges for reckless homicide and a misdemeanor count for passing a school bus with the stop arm extended, causing injury.

A preliminary crash investigation has shown that school bus driver Robert Reid, 46, was driving a 2015 Thomas Built school bus for Tippecanoe Valley School Corp., traveling northbound on State Road 25, according to police. He stopped the bus in front of a mobile home park and activated the stop arm and lighting as he was picking up students from the west side of the road.

As the students crossed the road to board their bus, four were allegedly struck by a 2017 Toyota Tacoma driven by Shepherd. Three of the students, Xzavier Ingle, his twin brother, Mason Ingle, who are 6 years old, and their 9-year-old sister, Alivia Stahl, all died at the scene from injuries sustained in the crash, according to police. Maverik Lowe, 11, was taken to a hospital in Fort Wayne by helicopter. At last check, he was in surgery with multiple broken bones and internal injuries, police said.

Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. shared news of the crash in a statement on its Facebook page on Tuesday morning and said that it had deployed all of its school counselors to assist its students, staff, and parents.

“We are awaiting to learn more confirmed details but wish to ask the community to come together to pray for the families, our students and our staff,” the district added in the statement.

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Nicole Schlosser

Nicole Schlosser

Former Executive Editor

Nicole was an editor and writer for School Bus Fleet. She previously worked as an editor and writer for Metro Magazine, School Bus Fleet's sister publication.

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