Two children getting off school bus struck by 18-wheeler; one killed, one injured
Published 10:21 pm Wednesday, December 9, 2020
One elementary school child was killed and another seriously injured Wednesday after they were struck by an 18-wheeler as they got off their school bus in front of their house.
The accident happened in Vardaman, Mississippi, in Calhoun County. The driver of the 18-wheeler, James Thomas Murphy, 70, of Vaiden, was charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault.
The two children were struck when the 18-wheeler truck veered around a stopped log truck that was stopped on Highway 8 awaiting the school bus.
The two children had departed the bus and were crossing the road to get to their house. Police said the bus was filled with school children as it had just begun its afternoon drop-off route after school.
One of the children was killed instantly and the other was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries.