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Thread: Sodany April Phann hit by school bus and killed

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    Sodany April Phann hit by school bus and killed

    http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/coroner-student-hit-by-bus-likely-died-of-head-trauma-625676.html

    LIBERTY TWP. — The Butler County Sheriff’s Office received multiple calls within seconds after a 15-year-old Lakota East High School sophomore was struck by a school bus early Monday, March 29, and killed while crossing the street near her home.

    The frantic calls came shortly after Sodany April Phann of the 4800 block of Long Drive in the Elk Run subdivision was crossing the street just before 6:30 a.m. The teen, whom family members referred to as April, was en route to her bus stop a few hundred yards away when she was struck, family members said.

    The first call at 6:22 a.m. was from a woman who told the dispatcher, “someone his laying in the street in my subdivision,” according to county records.

    In the background people screamed and cried.

    At the dispatcher’s urging, the woman stepped outside to find out what happened.

    “The bus ran over a girl,” the woman said. “She’s been hit by a school bus.”

    A male caller at 6:26 a.m. said “We’ve got a girl here who has been hit by a bus — she’s dead.”

    Members of April’s family said the bus, which was described by Lakota officials as a special needs bus for the district, was making a turn in a cul-de-sac when the teen was struck.

    Her body was transported to the Butler County Morgue, where an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday morning, according to Dr. Richard Burkhardt, county coroner. Burkhardt said he believes she died of head trauma.

    Vuthy Phann, 15, the victim’s uncle, witnessed the accident. He said April was struck by the front of the bus. He said the bus driver continued on after he ran to the vehicle and tapped on its window.

    “She put up her hands like she had no clue,” he said of the driver.

    The accident remains under investigation by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

    Deputy Brian Bussell said the preliminary investigation indicates April was lying in the middle off the street after she was struck, but her exact location before the incident has yet to be determined.

    A purse was found a the scene, but Bussell said there was no indication the girl was talking on a cell phone or texting when she was struck.

    “She was going to her bus stop that is down the street,” Bussell said, adding it was dark and raining. The area is not well lit, he said.

    Bussell said late Monday morning the bus was in the possession of the sheriff’s office for investigation. He said the bus did not appear to have any damage from the crash.

    As of press time Monday, the bus driver’s name had not been released, and officials did not say if any charges would be filed.

    The driver of the bus, owned by Petermann Bus Co., has been driving the same route all year, said Keith Harms, safety director for Petermann. The employee has been with Petermann for 23 years and has a “spotless” record, he said.

    “Safety is the thing we train for. It’s everything that we do,” Harms said.

    “At this time of the morning, it was raining, it was very dark. It is something that our bus drivers train for,” Harms said.

    Drivers train year-round and there are rules posted on buses to alert students to stay on curbs until the bus comes to a complete stop, he said. There was no indication the student had stepped off a curb, but the student was found laying in the street.

    The bus had only one other student on it at the time, according to Laura Kursman, spokeswoman for the Lakota School District.

    Grief counselors were hand at Lakota East and other schools Monday, and will be throughout the week, Kursman said.

    “Obviously this is something that is very horrible. Our support goes out to the families and the students,” she said.

    Liberty Twp. Fire Chief Paul Stumpf said the teen was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders, who quickly realized her injuries were fatal. A medical helicopter that was initially summoned was called off.

    Stumpf said the accident was one of the worst he’s seen in his lengthy career.

    “Anytime it involves a kid, it’s just a different factor,” he said.

    About an hour after April’s body was taken from the scene by the Butler County Coroner’s Office, family members erected a memorial with lit candles and incense at the end of their driveway, about 30 feet from where the teen was found.

    The Ohio State Highway Patrol, Butler County Sheriff’s Dept., Liberty Twp. fire officials, Lakota school officials and the Butler County coroner are continuing to investigate.





    This could possibly be her myspace, its under Sodany, but says she is 17 and you cannot see her picture well...
    http://www.myspace.com/151037510



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    Re: Sodany April Phann hit by school bus and killed

    How said. 

    RIP Sodany.

    Not to sound harsh, but her name sounds too much like sodomy.  It weirds me out a little.

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    Moderator bowieluva's Avatar
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    Re: Sodany April Phann hit by school bus and killed

    Pretty much the exact same thing happened when I was in high school.  A chick crossed the street at the urging of her family, against the light, and a truck killed her.

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    Re: Sodany April Phann hit by school bus and killed

    [quote author=Nocturnity link=topic=24806.msg1579581#msg1579581 date=1269903903]
    Not to sound harsh, but her name sounds too much like sodomy.  It weirds me out a little.
    [/quote]

    She went by April... but the way they pronounced it on the news was similar to Sodomy.

    [quote author=bowieluva link=topic=24806.msg1579585#msg1579585 date=1269904171]
    Pretty much the exact same thing happened when I was in high school.  A chick crossed the street at the urging of her family, against the light, and a truck killed her.
    [/quote]

    This girl was in the cul de sac of her street, and they said the bus never exceeded 5 mph. Her uncle (around her age) had been with her and pounded on the bus doors to tell the bus driver she was dragging the girl.

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    Moderator nestlequikie's Avatar
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    Re: Sodany April Phann hit by school bus and killed

    April would have turned Sweet Sixteen tomorrow. 

    Students at April's school all wore purple on Tuesday in her honor:



    Memorial for April:





    Scene of accident in cul-de-sac:



    911 call from neighbor can be heard here:

    http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/crime/listen-to-neighbors-911-call-after-fatal-bus-accident-626330.html

    More info in these articles below. 

    [size=11pt]April Phann was to turn 16 on Thursday[/size]
    By Dave Greber, Staff Writer  Updated 6:53 AM Tuesday, March 30, 2010

    LIBERTY TWP. — Sodany April Phann was three days away from her 16th birthday when her life was cut short just feet from the end of her driveway on a dark and rain-soaked morning.

    A memorial for the Lakota East High School sophomore struck and killed by a school bus early Monday, March 29, near her Long Drive home grew throughout the day, as did mourners who came to offer shoulders and condolences to grieving family and friends.

    “She had made it,” said April’s uncle, Sareth Phann, as he sobbed and prayed, standing over the spot where the honor roll student’s body came to rest in the middle of the street. “Life is already rough enough, and now this happens? Why? I can’t even explain it.”

    The Butler County Sheriff’s Office received frantic calls within seconds after April was struck while crossing the street in the Elk Run subdivision, headed to her bus stop a few hundred yards away.

    The first 911 call at 6:22 a.m. was from a woman who told the dispatcher, “Someone is laying in the street in my subdivision,” as people could be heard screaming and crying in the background.

    A male caller at 6:26 a.m. said “We’ve got a girl here who has been hit by a bus — she’s dead.”

    Family members said the bus, described by Lakota officials as a special-needs bus for the district, was making a turn in a cul-de-sac when the teen was struck.

    She was pronounced dead at the scene, and an autopsy is scheduled for this morning, according to Butler County Coroner Dr. Richard Burkhardt, who said April appeared to have died of head trauma.

    About an hour after the girl’s body was taken from the scene, family members erected a memorial with lit candles and incense at the end of their driveway. The memorial grew to include a teddy bear, her favorite foods and other items throughout the day.

    Vuthy Phann, 15, the victim’s uncle who witnessed the accident, said the teen was struck by the front of the bus, and that the bus driver did not initially stop. He said that he ran up to the bus and pounded on the window, screaming at the driver, “Look at what you did!”

    He said the driver appeared confused and continued on a short distance. “She put up her hands like she had no clue,” he said of the driver, whose name was not released on Monday.

    The driver, who worked for Petermann Bus Co., has been driving the same route all year, said Keith Harms, safety director for Petermann. The employee has been with the company for 23 years and has a “spotless” record, he said.

    The bus had only one student aboard at the time of the accident, according to Laura Kursman, spokeswoman for the Lakota School District.

    Grief counselors were on hand at Lakota East and other schools Monday, and will be throughout the week, Kursman said.

    In the minutes that followed Sodony April Phann’s fatal bus accident Monday morning, March 29, 4-year-old Anna Phann asked relatives when she might see her sister again.

    “She asked us, 'When is she coming back?’ ” a tearful Samantha Phann, April’s aunt, said about the conversation with the little girl. “But she’s never coming back. How do you tell her that?”

    The sophomore at Lakota East High School was to turn 16 on Thursday. Family members said they were planning a birthday party for the person they described as a humble and giving young woman who lived in a strict household and had aspirations of becoming a veterinarian.

    Family members said the teen was crossing the street to get to her bus stop — a few hundred yards away — as the bus was making a slow turn in the cul-de-sac when she was struck.

    Minutes later, Samantha Phann said she stepped outside and ran to the street, watching as emergency personnel attended to the teen.

    “I’m going to remember that image for the rest of my life,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “It’s forever. It’s never going to go away.”

    Liberty Twp. Fire Chief Paul Stumpf, who said the teen was pronounced dead at the scene by the Butler County Coroner’s Office, called the accident one of the worst he’s seen in his lengthy career.

    “Anytime it involves a kid, it’s just a different factor,” he said.

    About an hour after the girl’s body was taken away, family members erected a memorial with lit candles and incense at the end of their driveway, about 30 feet from where the teen was found.

    Amid sorrowful wails and streaming tears, family members lit two white candles and several incense sticks under an umbrella, sheets and blankets to keep the effects dry as it continued to rain. A white teddy bear and several bouquets of flowers joined small, short waifs of smoke.

    Her uncle, Sareth Phann, sobbed as he prayed in the middle of Long Drive in the Elk Run subdivision, standing over the spot where his niece’s body came to rest.

    “She’s an honor roll student,” he said, choking up. “She’s my niece. She was just walking. I just got no idea.”

    The teen, who split time living with her mother in West Chester Twp. and the home in Liberty Twp., was looking forward to attending a Justin Bieber concert with friends in Cincinnati this June, Samantha Phann said.

    Recently, she and her niece were watching movies together, including “The Blind Side,” which she said “makes you appreciate the things you have in life.

    “That was Friday, and then this happens,” said Samantha Phann.

    Butler County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Bussell said that while the girl was found lying in the middle of the street after she was struck, her exact location before the incident has yet to be determined.

    A purse was found at the scene, and Bussell said there was no indication she was talking on a cell phone or texting at the time of the accident. “She was going to her bus stop that is down the street,” Bussell said, adding it was dark and raining and the area is not well lit.

    The accident remains under investigation.

    [size=11pt]Family mourns loss of teen[/size]
    By Dave Greber, Staff Writer  Updated 12:44 PM Monday, March 29, 2010

    LIBERTY TWP. — In the minutes that followed April Phann’s fatal accident Monday morning, March 29, 4-year-old Anna Phann asked relatives when she might see her sister again.

    “She asked us, ‘When is she coming back?’” said a tearful Samantha Phann, April’s aunt, about the conversation with the little girl. “But she’s never coming back. How do you tell her that?”

    Early investigations by the Butler County Sheriff’s Office show the 15-year-old was struck by what Lakota Local School District officials say was a special needs bus as she was trying to cross her street, Long Drive, at approximately 6:30 a.m.

    Family members said April was crossing the street to get to her bus stop — which was a few hundred yards away — as the special needs bus was making a slow turn in the cul-de-sac. The bus that struck her had only one other student inside, officials said.

    The accident remains under investigation as of 11 a.m., Monday, by the sheriff’s office and the Butler County Coroner’s Office, which is scheduled to perform an autopsy Tuesday, March 30.

    She was described by family members as a humble and giving young woman who lived in a strict household. They said she was an honor roll student at Lakota East High School with aspirations of becoming a veterinarian. Someone who was involved in various activities, she always was quick to help others in need, family members said.

    She split time living with her mother in West Chester Twp. and the home in Liberty Twp., Samantha Phann said.

    At 8:45 a.m., Monday, less than an hour after the body was taken from the scene, members of the Phann family and friends quickly erected a memorial at the end of their driveway.

    Amid sorrowful wails and streaming tears, they lit two white candles and several incense sticks under an umbrella, sheets and blankets to keep the effects dry. A white teddy bear and several bouquets of flowers joined small, short waifs of smoke.

    April’s uncle, Sareth Phann, sobbed as he prayed in the middle of Long Drive, standing over the spot where his niece’s body came to rest.

    “She had made it,” he said moments later through tears and choppy breaths. “Life is already rough enough, and now this happens? Why? I can’t even explain it.

    “She’s an honor roll student,” he continued, breaking up. “She’s my niece. She was just walking. I just got no idea.”

    April was to turn 16 on Thursday, and family members said they were planning a birthday party. She and some friends were supposed to attend a Justin Bieber concert in June in Cincinnati.

    Samantha Phann said some of her most recent memories of April were the two watching movies together, including “The Blind Side,” which she said “makes you appreciate the things you have in life.”

    “That was Friday, and then this happens,” she said.

    Vuthy Phann, April’s uncle, said he was outside when his niece was struck, and that he ran up to the bus and pounded on the window, screaming at the driver, “Look at what you did!”

    He said the driver appeared confused and continued on a short distance. Minutes later, Samantha Phann said she stepped outside and ran to the street, watching on as emergency personnel attended to the teen.

    “I’m going to remember that image for the rest of my life,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “It’s forever. It’s never going to go away.”
    http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/crime/area-mourning-teen-struck-killed-by-school-bus-625676.html
    http://www.middletownjournal.com/news/middletown-news/family-mourns-loss-of-teen-626057.html

    RIP April 
    I hope that when the world comes to an end, I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to. - Donnie Darko

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