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| A 1998 Toyota rests on its side on 19th Street after a fatal crash on Monday night. Tribune Photo |
By Rayma Silvers
The Fort Scott Tribune
Students and teachers at Fort Scott Middle School are grieving the loss of fellow student Monica Hershey, 12, who was killed in a one-vehicle crash Monday evening.
The seventh-grade FSMS student was traveling with her family going northbound on the inside lane of U.S. Highway 69 in the vicinity of Shepherd Team Auto Plaza when Vanessa Hershey, 30, the vehicle's driver, lost control of the 1998 Toyota she was driving and entered the outside lane.
In an attempt to right the vehicle, Vanessa over corrected, causing her to travel across the inside lane of the southbound traffic and ultimately striking a curb on the passenger side of the vehicle. The abrupt contact with the curb caused the vehicle to become airborne, after which it rolled several times before coming to rest on 19th Street, according to a report from the Kansas Highway Patrol.
Monica was transported to Mercy Health Center where she died a short time after her arrival. Vanessa, who sustained unknown injuries from the crash, was transported to Mercy Health Center and subsequently life flighted to St. John's Medical Center. Jason Hershey, 13, another passenger in the vehicle, was ejected from the vehicle. He suffered unknown injuries during the incident and was later transported to Mercy Health Center.
According to FSMS Principal Barbara Albright, as soon as FSMS administrators were notified of the fatality, the Crisis Team provided through the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center at Greenbush was contacted. When FSMS students arrived at school on Tuesday, counselors from Fort Scott, Uniontown, Girard and Pittsburg were on hand to talk with students who needed to visit with someone about the loss of their classmate.
"It was a tragic accident felt by teachers, staff and students," Albright said. "We are trying to keep the day as normal as possible. Students who want to see a counselor have that opportunity throughout the day."
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Fort Scott Police Lt. Travis Shelton said it is impossible to tell how badly a person will be injured in a crash. Shelton emphasized that the use of a seat belt offers added protection for those traveling in a vehicle.
"People are far better off having a seat belt on," Shelton said. "There definitely would not have been anyone thrown from the vehicle (had seat belts been used)."
In a similar incident, two Vernon County, Mo. teenagers were killed in an automobile crash on Nov. 26. Neither Corey Martin, 16, nor Emily DeBrine, 15, were wearing their seat belts when they were involved in a head-on collision with a 2005 Ford pick-up driven by Gale Pelser of Eldridge, Mo. Pelser, who reportedly was wearing his seat belt, suffered only moderate injuries.
The Kansas Child Passenger Safety Act mandates children under the age of 4 to be in a federally approved child safety seat. Children ages 4 to 8 must be in a federally approved child safety seat or booster seat unless the child weighs more than 80 pounds or is taller than 4 feet, 9 inches. Passengers who are 8 to 14 years old must be restrained by a safety belt. Adult passengers are also required by the Kansas Safety Belt Use Act to use seat belts while traveling in a vehicle.
I am a very close family friend I have been in the Hersheys lifes for 10 years. My heart and prayers are with this family! This is such a tragity. May Monica be in heaven with Jesus! I hope that the boys are hanging in there. This is going to take alot of time to start healing. Just keep the good memories alive! Her beautiful smile her brilliant blue eyes. I cannot imagine the pain Vanessa is going through her children are her whole life. GOD BLESS YOU!!!
I am a very close family friend I have been in the Hersheys lifes for 10 years. My heart and prayers are with this family! This is such a tragity. May Monica be in heaven with Jesus! I hope that the boys are hanging in there. This is going to take alot of time to start healing. Just keep the good memories alive! Her beautiful smile her brilliant blue eyes. I cannot imagine the pain Vanessa is going through her children are her whole life. GOD BLESS YOU!!!
Its very sad that this happened & a young child lost her life. I think that some people should be ashamed of how they are acting at a time like this. When tragic accidents happen, its normal to want to to ask why them, what if or blame someone or even blame yourself. We've all made mistakes at some point in our lives, some far worse than others. All we can hope for during those times is that we learned something from it & better ourselves because of it. I'm sure all of us have at some point, forgotten to wear our seatbelts & some of us just don't wear them at all, even the FSPD's families & the tribune people who write these stories. Maybe once in awhile we "all" need to think about what can happen to us & our loved ones when we get behind the wheel. If we would take a moment to do that everyday, then this child would not have died for nothing. Let's all do it for her, ourselves & our loved ones. Lets stop pointing the finger & let this child rest in peace. My thoughts & prayers are w/ her family & friends.
Its very sad that this happened & a young child lost her life. I think that some people should be ashamed of how they are acting at a time like this. When tragic accidents happen, its normal to want to to ask why them, what if or blame someone or even blame yourself. We've all made mistakes at some point in our lives, some far worse than others. All we can hope for during those times is that we learned something from it & better ourselves because of it. I'm sure all of us have at some point, forgotten to wear our seatbelts & some of us just don't wear them at all, even the FSPD's families & the tribune people who write these stories. Maybe once in awhile we "all" need to think about what can happen to us & our loved ones when we get behind the wheel. If we would take a moment to do that everyday, then this child would not have died for nothing. Let's all do it for her, ourselves & our loved ones. Lets stop pointing the finger & let this child rest in peace. My thoughts & prayers are w/ her family & friends.
What is wrong with some of you people? A child has died that and that is what we should be concerned about. Second of all the FS Police are only trying to drive a point home and into the heads of our kids that seatbelts are important. I have a teenage son and every time he leaves the house in a car I pray for him and the other kids. We have to teach our kids the importance of seatbelts. I am sorry for the loss of your child.
This mother knows the truth, the people racing her on the highway , they also know the truth! It was more important to remove the alcohol and then call police. I could not live with myself not taking ownership of my actions! For hurting a child.
My prayers are with the family. It is a sad time for them. One the time of the year will always be a sad time. I know you have probably heard that it was God's will. I don't believe it was His will for the accident to happen, but it was His will to bring her home. He didn't want her to suffer. I am sorry if this hurts you. I am only intending to ease your pain, if even a little. God has His reasons for everything. I pray that you will be able to find a little peace in this situation. Know that Monica is watching over you now. My son was in her home base. When he told us about it, he was pretty shook up. He had trouble understanding. I told him the same thing. That God took her home. I pray that peace will come from our Heavenly Father to all of her friends and family. God bless you all.
THOSE WE LOVE MUST SOMEDAY PASS BEYOND OUR PRESENT SIGHT...MUST LEAVE US AND THE WORLD WE KNOW WITHOUT THIER RADIANT LIGHT. BUT WE KNOW LIKE A CANDLE THIER LOVELY LIGHT WILL SHINE TO BRIGHTEN UP ANOTHER PLACE MORE PERFECT... MORE DIVINE,AND IN THE REALM OF HEAVEN WHERE THEY SHINE SO WARM AND BRIGHT OUR LOVED ONES LIVE FOREVERMORE IN GODS ETERNAL LIGHT. JASON AND VANESSA I FEEL YOUR PAINE IM STILL GOING THROUGH THE TRAGIC HOMICIDE OF MY LITTLE BROTHER AND ALSO MY MOTHER PIP YOUR IN MY PRAYERS
my prayers and love are with you vanessa and jason and jj and andrew. monica you will be very much missed, that sweet little face, that not to long agothrough her arms around my neck and said i love you grandma. you have called me mom and grandma since my daughter misty and vanessa became friends many years ago. vanessa and jason are good parents, and my heart goes out to you. monica you will be missed baby girl, i love you all, and my prayers are with you.
God Bless you all. love
laurie pierce
I would have to agree that the Tribune staff needs to edit their work a little better.
In support of that, is the fact that the last paragraph is wrong about child seat belt use.
"Passengers who are 8 to 14 years old must be restrained by a safety belt."
What the story doesn't say is that from 8 years to 17 years the state still considers that as a CHILD restraint. It isn't until 18 years that the person is considered an ADULT restraint. There for making any one not buckled up under the age of 18 a primary law.
Check it out :
www.kansashighwaypatrol.org/general/cps....
And it was the Fort Scott Tribune that put the FSPD headline on the story, not the FSPD.
Nice job tribune.
i agree with davidmartin88. The newspaper needs to do their homework. The only thing that is common in the 2 very sad events is that no1 was wear seat belts.
This accident was a tragedy. Did anyone take into consideration just how fast you would have to be travling in order to flip this vehicle 1 time and eject its passengers. It is a 30 mph zone and at the posted speed it would be very hard to have a accident of this magnitude. Not to mention the fact that seatbealts were not in use. Had the accident happened at the posted speed with seatbelts in use there probably would be no story for everyone to get upset about, and probably no need for even an ambulance. I drive a big truck and have travled all over this country and have seen countless accidents that have cost the lives of someones loved ones that were 100% preventable.My sympthy and prayers are with the family as they try to move on from this tragedy.And hope that people relize this was an ACCIDENT preventable or not. Put your thoughts ,and energy where they belong, and that is with the family as they struggle to cope with there loss of a young child. May GOD be with them!!
My heart goes out to the entire family, they are in our prayers!!! Get well soon Vanessa...those boys need you home!
SEAT BELTS! That's the law! I am a very good friend of David & Tonia Martin. I was on the scene of the accident that occurred on highway 54 that took the young lives of Corey Martin and Emily DeBrine that touched the hearts of many people in our area. No they weren't wearing their seat belts but like David said "It would not have mattered no shape no form no size if they would have been wearing TEN seat belts each" A man passing on a double yellow lined highway around a semi and a car. Whose fault is it? None other than the driver of that passing pick up. What do you want? To put an officer on every mile of highway- NO! If you do not approve they run an ad in the newspaper for the job of being a FS officer of the law. They are trained for what they do. I don't see you doing it. GOOD JOB GUYS!
Monica- My prayers go out to your family and welcome to your new home in the arms of the mightiest King (Jesus) I'll see you later Monica.
Cont- When a officer writes a ticket for belt restraints,speeding or arrest someone for driving drunk,it is to save your life and the life of others. Keep the family in your prayers.
I have always seen when something like this happens people want to blame everyone else. I can not believe you are blaming the Fort Scott Police Dept. and its officers for not being right there to stop this accident from happening. They can not be everywhere. Before you know it,you will blame the state for not having lights at 19th street. Maybe,you will blame the street dept. for the drainage ditch that the driver hit. The driver of this vehicle is a ADULT! Someone who is suppose to have commensence and be responsible for her children. Have you asked yourself...what was she doing? She was the driver. If you want to blame someone put the blame where it belongs,on the driver of the vehicle. I believe she will have to live with this for the rest of her life.
We miss you everyday at school Monica. God Bless Her FAmily. She was one of my best friends and I was goofing off with her in science the day of the accident.
Love Brianna Alfaro.
I am Corey Leon Martins Father. This has no resembelence to the Martin/DeBrine crash. The man that hit them head on while passing in a no passing zone on a hill. He also was moving at a high rate of speed with a loaded trailer behind. I will be posting pics of this truck so people with "THE WOOL PULLED OVER THIER EYES" can see the damage of the truck that Corey and Emily where driving doing nothing wrong all to have the young lives taken. I do wish the local newspapers would do their homework or their jobs and actualy investigate a story before you print it. My heart goes out to all the families God Bless You All!!
My thoughts & prays are with both Jason & Vanessa. I have known them for many years and I am deeply sadden for their loss. I cannot fathom what it must feel like to lose a child. We all make horrible mistakes and only God can judge us.
A lot of hugs and prays are being sent to Kansas from Arizona. Love always, Linda
I am not from Ft. Scott, but when I come through I feel the police officiers do a excellant job.
This is not about the officers or how they do there job. This is about a child who lost her life to young. Yes, she should of been wearing her seat belt. But some of the comments I see on hear are directed as Vanessa was a poor mother. Those people and those comments should not be made. We all should look to the good lord and Pray for all the family. I don't think this is the time or the place to be airing are concerns about the selt belts. Yes, my children and I always wear them. Blame is not going to heal our hearts. God will. To Vanessa and family God Bless all of you and Monica I did not know you but you must of been an amazing little lady who is so much missed. R.I.P. Love from Iola
I am saddened by the needless loss of life..I am a parent of a teenager and since the day she was born everyone...no matter who must wear a seatbelt in the car...no excetions...and she makes her friends wear them too...I am very angry that people today still don't wear seatbelts...how many times must someone be told to wear seatbelts...I bet everyone in this family will wear them now...but it's too late isn't it...Go Ft. Scott Police Dept...do what you need to do to save lives!!!!!
I agree no1 should be blaming anyone but just try and remember to buckle up when u get in a vechile. I only knew the family cause the guy dating knows them. In fact one of monica's best friends is his little sis. I never buckled up but now I'm going to try a little harder and remember to buckle up.
"Fort Scott PD: Fatal accident demonstrates need to wear safety restraint (12/03/08)"
well samantha, i can see your views on that...but sometimes it takes a tragic event to make people realize they put seatbelts in a vehicle for a reason. it is the law that ALL wear them. i lost a sister in 1965 from a carwreck, she was 17 years old. she was not wearing a seat belt (passenger) and the results were her being ejected from the car and broke her neck killing her instantly. 8 months later i was in a carwreck (not wearing a seat belt) and was ejected broke my jaw and ended up in k.u. medical center for a year with my mouth wired shut,when i was 13. i still have the scars to this day.
lets all remember when we get into a vehicle to buckle up. you never know when it will happen to you. i am a bull/grainhauler and i have seen many of these wrecks that have tragic ends. bless this family and heal them in god's speed. unfortunately the painful memories will always be there for their loss of monica
We should pray for this family, but perhaps we should have prayed for this family earlier. I agree the police are not to blame, if I am correct our city budget has 2 police officers only working on some nights. If this is a concern, then we should vote to increase our revenues for the city to provide more enforcement to our town. And support them in their actions. Perhaps we should look into the SRS also and find out why these children were still living in a dangerous environment...
I was one of the first two people on scene of the accident. And I have much greif for the family and everyone that was watching the accident and saw the family after the crash. I was friends with the whole family and think about the crash every day. If the FSPD wants to use the death a happy innocent 12 year old girl to demonstrate that we need to use seatbelts that is very messed up. I saw Vanessa and Monica after they were ejected from the vechicle and it really hurts me that the FSPD would put that at the top of the report. It should say An awful wreck, with the loss of an innocent child. May god be with the family as well as the father. RIP Monica everyone will miss you dearly. Love Samantha, Martin, Braxtyn, and Daetyn.
My heart goes out to the family now and know that in time things will get better ....My prayers are with you and hope that you all get better soon..
Char Barracato
Tempe AZ
My heart goes out to the family. As a mother I can't imagine losing a child. What upsets me is that everyone is quick to throw the blame around, instead of doing this, maybe we could focus our energy on trying to prevent this tragedy from happening again. A traffic light at that intersection would be a good idea. And as far as blaming the police, it's ridiculous, they are no more to blame than you or I.
Plz just keep ur prayers and thoughts with tha family and lets just hope that my buba jay jay and andrew will be ok and nessa will be ok i love u all and we all miss my baby sis monica i will love u forever and alwayz
R.I.P we will all miss u like crazy and u ment the world to us monica and we will alwayz love u and forever miss u!!!!! u were like a lil sister to me and i will love u forever!!! Love alwayz and forever Hope, Faith, & Grace Thomas!!!!!!!!!!
WOW!!! I can't believe this actually happnd...I didn't kno tha fam very well but my older sista babysittd all tha kids 4 Jason and Vanessa last year 4 like 2 days and we went over there and saw, visited, and got to kno them all. Also, Monica was one of my little sistas best friends. They were like sisters and my little sista dated her older brother Jason. They also used to come over to stay at my step-dads house and it was always fun. Monica was always filled with joy and laughter. I really hope that tha fam is ok and doin well. I wish them tha best of luck and hope that God is with them and helps them through all of this...I LOVE YOU ALL SOO MUCH!!! XOXO..
Wow!!!!I just have to say i did not see this happening.This is so hard for me and for anyone else who knew Monica or even the Hershey family at all. I love her so much its so hard to have to deal with this situation.I know her family so well and it breaks my heart to have to think of the pain that the Hersheys are dealing with.Me and Monica, even her mom were all like sisters.I'm just glad that Jason and Andrew are okay and I hope that you get better soon Vanessa and I'm so sorry.I really am.You guys were like another whole family to me.I just want you all to know that I'm going to be there for you no matter what happens.I love you all so much!!!!!!
country_livin : "Did we not have any of Fort Scott's finest on patrol anywhere?"
Place the blame on the police department for the actions of the driver? That makes sense, because the 3 to 4 officer's on duty can police the whole town of Fort Scott and all traffic going through Fort Scott ALL AT THE SAME TIME. Do you think it is easy for the police to see a CHILD die? But when the police go out and write speeding tickets and seat belt tickets they are treated with nothing but disrespect from the public?
"Only the good die young." My thoughts and prayers are with Monica, and her family.
It is sad that a young lady lost her life @ such a young age. May Monica sit with the Lord.
First may I say my heart goes out to the family and prayers. Secondly whether the mother was speeding or not and the police were not around at this point should not matter. What matters is a mother lost her child and she will live the rest of her life heart broken and wondering why if she was speeding, why she did't not slow down. But, this is for God to judge her, not us. We all have moments in our lives that we get upset and get behind the wheel and go a little faster then we should. This does'nt mean that her mother did not care for her children. Again, I have two children and one is a girl and her daughters age and I want Venessa to know I can't imagine her pain and don't ever want to. My children our my whole world as i'm sure Vanessa are to. Vanessa and her whole family your in our prayers. God Bless
wow! I had just saw Monica, Vanessa, Andrew,Jason & Turner @ walmart maybe 15 minutes before the accident! They were happy& laughing...& i got a last hug from them( Monica & me were close friends like sisters).Vanesse also called me twice before the accident. I am so thankful for that last hug!!! R.I.P MONICA! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!! Were all praying for Jason, Andrew & Vanessa! Gosh! i just can't express how much i love you all& i hope everything gets better!!!!
It makes me sick for the lack of respect some parents have for thier childrens safety. Reports are this woman was speeding down horton a short time before the wreck happened, and then again down the highway when she wrecked her vehicle. Did we not have any of Fort Scott's finest on patrol anywhere? Just makes me sick, I pray for Monica's friends and family. May God be with you all.