Perry Township bus driver on leave after deadly crash
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Authorities identified the man killed by a Perry Township school bus Tuesday morning.
43-year old Timothy Yegerlehner was walking when he was hit at the intersection of Thompson Road and Madison Avenue.
Business owners in the area say Yegerlehner was an icon in the community. They say always offered a helping hand.
“He’d come clean our parking lot and shop at our store and of course the restaurant. He was there every day. It’s just kind of a sad deal,” said Tom Mascari the owner of Lyrics secondhand shop.
Sad because of what happened around 8:15 Tuesday morning. It was a busy scene as authorities from both IMPD and the Indiana State Police blocked off the intersection for about 2 hours.
Police said Yegerlehner was walking across Thompson Road when a Perry Township school bus driver turning left struck him. The bus driver and an elementary-aged student on board were not injured. Yegerlehner was killed.
“It was a tragic two hours for the south side of Indianapolis,” said Nic Roberts, who works nearby.
Pedro Banegas also works nearby and said, “You never expect something like that. Especially if they get killed.”
The bus driver is now on leave. In a statement, Perry Township Schools said in part:
As per protocol, the driver was taken for mandatory testing. The driver has been placed on leave during the investigation. Counseling services are being provided to our staff member.
Police said the bus driver did have the right of way and that there were no signs of impairment. According to officials, she is fully cooperating with investigators and agreed to have her blood tested for illegal intoxicants.
People in the area say it’s not uncommon to see accidents. In fact a couple hours later, there was a minor crash just feet away on Madison Avenue.
“There’s always a lot of traffic. You see people walking. Especially kids from school. That’s something you’ve got to watch out for. Especially if you are a driver,” said Banegas.
“We had a t-bone over here at Turkey Hill just 2 to 3 weeks ago,” said Roberts.
Add one more crash. But this time, a much different ending.
“He lived in the neighborhood and was an intricate part of the neighborhood. It’s sad it happened,” said Mascari.
Police are now looking into how fast the bus driver was going and the mechanics of the bus.