No charges to be filed in East High bus fatality; dad wants new probe

January 22, 2015 at 12:09a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Police will not file charges against a city school-bus driver involved in a November accident in which an East High School freshman was killed.

Lt. William Ross of the department’s Traffic Bureau said the decision was made after city Prosecutor Dana Lantz reviewed all evidence in the death of 14-year-old Faith Ann McCullough, who was killed after school Nov. 12 when she was run over by a city school bus.

Faith’s father, Max McCullough, said he’s not surprised by the decision.

“I knew that was going to happen,” he said.

McCullough has retained an attorney and is considering legal action. He said he wants an independent investigation of the accident.

“When the city investigates themselves, you don’t get any justice,” McCullough said.

He wants an independent investigator to examine issues that he believes the police and Ohio State Highway Patrol didn’t.

“If this were any of the officials’ kids, I’m sure the outcome would have been different,” McCullough said.

The holidays were especially difficult for the family.

“It was painful,” he said.

“It was excruciatingly painful. You’re all sitting around and you look around, and there’s her empty seat.”

Although Faith died more than a month before Christmas, she had done at least some of her shopping early.

“She bought my gift before she died,” McCullough said.

Faith’s mother gave it to him shortly after their daughter’s death.

“It was a hat with deer antler horns and it plays a song about hunting,” said McCullough, who is a hunter. “It was really cute.”

Schools Superintendent Connie Hathorn said he planned to organize a committee including East High School principals, students, groundskeepers, the district’s chief of security and a representative from the business office to make recommendations to him on “how we can prevent this from happening again.”

Witnesses said Faith and another student were rolling down a hill on the side of East High Avenue as the bus was travelling west.

The bus stopped when Faith got to the bottom of the hill then continued on, reports said.

Witnesses then said it appeared Faith became dizzy and she fell into the road into the path of the rear wheels of the bus.

Investigators said the bus driver tried to swerve to avoid her but could not.

She was killed instantly.

Ross said investigators were waiting for the Ohio State Highway Patrol to look at some of their evidence, especially GPS data from the bus, to help buttress their findings.

Ross said the GPS data show the bus was going at or just a little above 10 miles per hour.

The bus was not speeding, and the driver was not driving recklessly, Ross said.

Lantz did not return calls Wednesday seeking comment.

In a statement the driver made to police that is included in an accident report, the driver said that Faith also rolled down the hill the previous day.

The day of the accident, she rolled again, and the bus driver stopped as Faith got to the bottom of the hill, and someone helped her up.

The driver then put the bus in drive and as she passed Faith, she saw in the side view mirror the girl stumble.

The driver tried to stop but could not before striking Faith with a rear bus wheel.

She immediately stopped the bus and called for help, the report says.

Four other statements in the report by witnesses tell the same story.