BENTON, Arkansas (AP) -- A woman who passed a stopped school bus and struck a boy with her car has been ordered to head to jail on every anniversary of the child's death for the next 10 years.
Tiffany Nix, 25, was ordered to spend every September 28 through 2015 in jail for the 2004 death of 9-year-old William "Isaac" Brian.
Nix pleaded guilty Tuesday to manslaughter and passing a stopped school bus.
The judge ordered Nix to pay Isaac's family $5,694.62 for his funeral expenses. She will also be on probation for 10 years and must perform 400 hours of community service.
The boy's father, Kelly Brian, said after the hearing that he and his wife, Shari, were satisfied with the sentence.
Prosecutors had said Nix had opiates and amphetamines in her system at the time of the accident. She had initially been charged with negligent homicide, but prosecutors upgraded the charge after receiving results from laboratory tests.
In a written statement included in a police report, Nix said she saw the school bus but did not see its stop sign. She said she did not realize the bus was stopped until she saw the boy running in front of it.
Isaac's death prompted legislators to toughen penalties for passing stopped school buses.
Man, how can you NOT see a bus' stop sign? One is supposed to be aware enough to be extra cautious around buses. I don't feel sorry for her one bit. She's gotten off WAY to easy.
hmm.. I'm gonna pass a school bus that I don't think is stopped , I think it's just going REAL SLOW , now why in the world would a SCHOOL BUS be going REAL SLOW ? I can't think of a single reason why , can you ?
People just do not pay attention anymore. I took my daughter to school yesterday. I saw the fire truck, the ambulance and the severly mangled bike. Worst part, it was a school bus that hit the kid. Too sad.
