Jurors hear from witnesses in first day of Fulton County trial

ROCHESTER — Jurors heard from seven witnesses Wednesday in the trial of a woman who is accused of driving past the stop arm of a school bus last October in Fulton County and killing three children.

In October 2018, Alyssa Shepherd's pick-up truck hit and killed 6-year-old twins, Mason and Xzavier Ingle, and their 9-year-old sister, Alivia Stahl. Shepherd faces three counts of reckless homicide, criminal recklessness resulting in bodily injury and one count of passing a school bus when an arm signal device was was extended.

After the incident, Shepherd told police she did not realize she was approaching a stopped school bus.

In court, according to information from WROI Giant FM, the mother of the three children tried to hold it together as she testified, explaining the moment she realized her children had been hit and seeing her two sons lying in the road and her daughter in a ditch.

She recounted that in her state of shock, she ripped the sheet off her twin boys because she did not believe enough had been done to resuscitate them.

Defense attorneys did not question her and allowed her to step down from the stand. That's when her husband went to her, kneeled and kissed her on the cheek.

An 18-year-old woman who was driving behind Shepherd on the morning of the crash testified she could see the bus and the children crossing the road, despite how dark it was that October morning.

The school bus driver took the stand and became emotional as he recounted his story. He told the court he saw a car approaching from the distance, but he thought the driver would stop, so he waved the kids to come to the bus. He said he realized at the last moment the car could not stop, and the children were hit.

Jurors heard from a 12-year-old boy, Maverick Lowe, who was also hit. He survived, but he discussed the 21 surgeries he has undergone, including a knee replacement three weeks ago.

The boy said he was behind the three siblings boarding the bus when he saw the approaching headlights. He told the court he did not know what to do, and said he wanted to jump in front of the other three children but was frozen in fear.

All witnesses testified the bus had its lights and stop arm deployed when the crash happened.

More tears filled the courtroom as the 911 call was played, most hearing it for the first time.

The case is expected to continue Thursday and possibly go to the jury by Friday.