Saturday, June 23, 2007

Grant County School Bus driver accepts plea deal

Crash sent 17 kids to hospital

Two days after refusing a plea deal that would send her to prison for a minimum of 10 years and two months, the 29-year-old walked into a Grant County courtroom Friday afternoon and accepted the same deal.

The Grant County school bus driver who crashed her bus into a pole Jan. 17, sending all 17 students on board to hospitals, pleaded guilty to 25 charges of drug possession, wanton endangerment and assault. In exchange, Commonwealth's Attorney Jim Crawford recommended a 22-year sentence with eligibility for parole after 122 months.

Cody Shively, 12, of Dry Ridge, was one of two children who received head injuries in the crash. He sat in the front row of the courtroom, wearing a helmet to protect his skull.

Cody said he "wanted her to stay in prison for 100 years."

After the crash, investigators found more than 40 bottles of prescription medications in Young's Williamstown apartment. A urine test revealed drugs, including cocaine, marijuana and the prescription painkiller Darvocet, in her system at the time of the wreck.

She had only slept about five hours the night before the crash, investigators said.

This from the Cincinnati Enquirer, photo by PATRICK REDDY.

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