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Driver Incautious Around School Bus, Reporters

Sad to say, but there are a lot of drivers out on the roads in the morning who don't know how to properly negotiate around school buses, and one of those made a serious mistake in Marshall, critically injuring a boy walking to his school bus, a bus which reportedly had their caution lights flashing.

But this driver, Earl Shepherd III, did not only exercise due caution when confronted with the lights of the school bus, he also didn't exercise any caution around the lights of the news media. Shepherd apparently did not want to shift down when he saw the bus, lights flashing or not, but he did want to shift the blame for this tragic event on anyone other than himself.

For not only does he claim the lights on the bus were not on (which the bus driver and sheriff's office believe is a fact), but he also feels the need to point out:

1) the speed limit down that stretch is 55 mph

2) it was too dark to see the bus

3) he was reaching for a Monster drink when it happened

4) he didn't think his brakes performed properly

According to the report, he claims he was the first to report it to 911 and stressed that it was an accident. But reports seem to indicate he was on the phone to someone else before he called 911, and one could be suspicious pending an investigation, that he may have been on that phone when the 'accident' happened.

But this will likely be proven to be no accident, just a tragedy that could have been avoided if 24 year old 'Easy Excuses' Earl Shepherd III could have taken up the responsibilities of being a safe driver. Get well quick, David Newman. Check out the video on the provided link after the article.

ECKFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A 12-year-old boy was critically injured after he was hit by a vehicle while attempting to board a school bus.

Family and school officials confirmed that the victim was David Newman, a student in Marshall Public Schools.

Police said the boy was hit by a truck traveling eastbound near the 21000 block of F. Drive S. near the city of Marshall around 6:50 a.m. Friday.

“It’s something that’s hard to get out of your mind,” said Bryan Horton. Horton drives a big rig. He was on the scene a few minutes after the accident. “That could have been my grandson that’s what I thought.”

Horton said he got out of his truck, and walked up to the boy in the road to see if he could help.

“All I know is the kid’s backpack laid over here by a driveway, one of his shoes laid ten feet behind the guy’s truck, and the kid was probably…about 40 feet in front of my rig behind the [school] bus,” said Horton.

He said that the boy’s father never left his side, talking to him the whole time. When Horton got on the scene he said the boy’s mom was just running up to her son.

“The mother asked the guy, ‘what happened? Didn’t you see my son? Didn’t you see the bus?’ And the guys barked back at her so I got out of the way,” said Horton.

The driver of the pickup truck that allegedly hit David, 24-year-old Earl Shepherd III, talked to 24 Hour News 8 off camera. Shepherd said that the lights on the bus were not on. The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department said that the lights were on. Shepherd said that it was dark, and he didn’t see the bus. He said he was going 55 miles per hour – the speed limit – and had just reached to open a Monster Energy drink when it happened.

Shepherd asked 24 Hour News 8 how David was doing, and stressed that it was an accident. He said he had been crying all day, and that he is praying for David and his family. Shepherd also said when he hit his brakes he didn’t think they worked properly.

“When I got up there, the side lights that said stop was still flashing and the red light on top was still flashing, and this guy just claimed he never seen the bus, so I don’t know if he was not paying attention or what he was doing,” said Horton.

Shepherd also told 24 Hour News 8 he was the first to call 911, Horton remembers what happened differently. Horton said Shepherd didn’t call 911 until the boy’s mom said something to him.
“The mother was very distraught. She was very upset and the guy he’s on his cell phone talking to somebody saying he hit a kid, all this and all that but yet then he turns around and tells mom he has no cell service out there but then he’s talking to somebody on a cell phone,” said Horton.

Horton said he was praying for David, his family and for Shepherd as well. Shepherd does not have anything on his driving record, and does not have any criminal record.

“This was just a tragic accident where someone came upon that bus stop and didn’t do what they needed to do,” said Marshall Schools superintendent Dr. Randall Davis.

David was airlifted to Bronson Hospital in Kalamazoo where he is listed in critical condition.

Shepherd agreed to a blood test at a nearby hospital. He has been released pending further investigation.

The driver and 14 other students were on the bus when the incident occurred. Supt. Davis said that the district emergency response team was on hand Friday, trying to help those kids, the driver and a bus dispatcher who was also very involved in the incident.

Driver Incautious Around School Bus, Reporters

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