November 21, 2009

Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57104

Federal Immigration Officials Now Looking Into Fatal Minnesota Bus Crash

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23-year-old Alianiss Nunez Morales in this photo provided by the Lyon County Sheriff's Office.

By Drew Sandholm

Story Created: Feb 21, 2008 at 11:04 PM CST

Story Updated: Feb 22, 2008 at 10:17 AM CST

Days after the Lakeview School bus crash, the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) joins the investigation.

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"We are working closely with the state patrol into the circumstances surrounding the accident, including the legal status of the driver of the van," said ICE agent Tim Counts.

23-year-old Alianiss Nunez Morales had been driving the van, which investigators say smacked into a Lakeview school bus. That accident sent her to the hospital. When Morales was released Thursday afternoon, the Minnesota State Patrol made a probable cause arrest for criminal vehicular operation. Lyon County Sheriff Joel Dahl said, "They have talked to the prosecutor. They have enough information whatever that has entails at this point to take her into custody."

Before formal charges are filed, the Minnesota State Patrol will continue to question witnesses. James Hancock was driving a truck the bus ran into and told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis:

"I saw the maroon van run a stop sign, it blew over the railroad tracks and hit the bus, sending it sliding into me. The next thing I knew, they were hauling kids out and it was chaos."

On Friday, formal charges are expected to be filed before Morales appears in Lyon County Court at 11:30 a.m. KSFY will attend her court appearance and will have the details on Friday's KSFY Live At 5:00, 6:00, and 10:00.

Drew Sandholm can be reached by phone at (605) 373-7372 or by e-mail.

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Friday, Feb 22 at 1:20 AM Hombre Viejo wrote ...

Miss Morales looks scared and worried. Please treat her as kindly as possible. It may well be she is an illegal immigrant. This is very sad, an the fault of our government for no preventing her from entering in the first place! No doubt traffic and driving conditions in Mexico, Guatamala, San Salvador are much different than in MN! Desperate people risk themselves and us, when they enter illegally. We have no choice but to learn to detect them as early as possible and deport them, or suffer

Friday, Feb 22 at 5:23 AM Joe America wrote ...

Hombre Viejo, if she is illegal then the death penalty for her!

Friday, Feb 22 at 6:16 AM Arlene wrote ...

Four children are dead, and yet we still pander to illegal aliens. Our politicians want their support. I have a friend who just had both legs amputated above the knee. She was hit by an illegal alien drunk driver, while putting her children in the car. This happened in Napa Valley California. I'm so tired of all the illegal alien sob stories. Americans have lots of stories of heartache of their own. Deport them now or pay the consequences.

Friday, Feb 22 at 9:02 AM James wrote ...

Lets not make this an immigration issue. This woman is a poor driver. She is not a poor driver because she might not be here legally. These are two seperate issues.

Friday, Feb 22 at 9:37 AM Joel wrote ...

James claims that this crash and immigration are two seperate issues. But the fact is, if immigration laws were enforced this incident may not have happened. How many tragedies must happen before the current laws are enforced.

Friday, Feb 22 at 10:04 AM Anonymous wrote ...

The fact is that there are illegal's in our country, and we all know it. The other fact is that there are all kinds of folks out there drivinging with out a license! the reality is that there are four children killed and one 23 year old girl who has the rest of her life to live with what she has done! my prayers go out to everyone invloved!!!!

Friday, Feb 22 at 10:09 AM stacy wrote ...

This is an immagration issue!poor driver or not she shouldnt have been in this country. Remove her from the situation and guess what... there is NO accident. This is a situation that should open the eyes of everyone. We live in the USA land of the free but how free are we? Being scared that my children arent safe beacuse someone that doesnt understand the basic laws in our country. Doesnt sound like freedom to me. Our country is walking a thin line and things need to start changing.

Friday, Feb 22 at 10:12 AM Enforce Immigration Law! wrote ...

Indeed, if the USA enforced its immigration law as Mexico does against Guatemalans, this illegal, unlicensed and deadly driver would probably not have been in this country and those children would be alive today. It is past time to get illegal aliens off our roads and out of the country. We should start by seizing vehicles, real estate and all other property owned or used by illegal aliens as proceeds of a crime (working illegally is a crime, as is identity fraud) or property used in a crime.

Friday, Feb 22 at 10:19 AM William wrote ...

I cannot believe you Brokeback Mountainers are refusing to look at the fact that this individual was breaking laws by choice and killed those kids! It is an immigration issue by the facts of the case. So I can rob a Wells Fargo and have you look the other way? You have lost your minds! The reversal of cause and effect is a clear indicator of a defunct philosophy.

Friday, Feb 22 at 10:22 AM Denise wrote ...

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/ COTTONWOOD, Minn.- Multiple sources have told FOX 9 that the driver of the van that struck the school bus that killed 4 students on Tuesday is in the country illegally. FOX 9 has also learned that the name she gave to police, Alainiss Morales, is an alias. All the pro-illegal Democratic Politicians (and GOP Senator Coleman, also pro Amnesty) in Minnesota and across this country should personally apologize to these families of the dead and injured children

Friday, Feb 22 at 10:25 AM Mary wrote ...

Tragically it is the result of a poor driver and she should be charged accordingly. But, how many US citizens must continue to pay for the lack of our federal govt's interest in taking care of this illegal immigration problem. My heart goes out to the parents of these now deceased children.

Friday, Feb 22 at 11:36 AM To Joel from James: wrote ...

To say that if immigration laws were previously enforced that it would somehow affect what has happened is short sighted and void of point. If you're argument holds water, lives were saved in Mexico or whereever this lady is from because she was driving here and not there. Mixing these two issues does not help the victims or the families. It will not prevent other people with out permits to drive. The argument sckewes the point that kids are dead and this is a time for grief not for blame.

Friday, Feb 22 at 12:33 PM Anonymous wrote ...

lets not forget that there are Americans that drive around without a license poor drivers, this has nothing to do with her status! poordrivers get into accidents everyday of the week. My thoughts and prayers are with the parents and family members of those deceased. May God Bless them

Friday, Feb 22 at 12:51 PM madlegalatina wrote ...

How many more innocent Americans have to be killed by illegal aliens like this? Where's the compassion for the victims and our communities by the likes of Hillary, Obama? Oh yes, I forgot they want to provide illegal aliens with a special path to citizenship, open borders, in-state tuition benefits and suspend deportations b/c it separates families. Excuse me, but this illegal alien just permanently separated 4 kids from their families. Where's the outrage?

Friday, Feb 22 at 12:55 PM madlegalatina wrote ...

Someone please send this article to Janet Murguia of the National Council of La RAZA...you see she thinks that the reporting of crimes committed by illegal aliens is "code word of hate"...she doesn't like anyone to talk about the hundreds of thousands of people victimized by crimes committed by illegal aliens especially those from Mexico. Too bad Janet, they just can't seem to help themselves. It is what it is. Americans have had enough.

Friday, Feb 22 at 2:21 PM Paul wrote ...

In this country illegally; can't speak English; has no driver's license; has previous record for driving without a license; CLEARLY caused this accident; killed 4 children; this woman needs to be taken outback of the sheriff's office and be put to death immediately! NOT ONE PENNY of our tax dollars needs to be wasted on this stupid idiot. Put her to death and out of our way! That is the ONLY appropriate punishment here.

Saturday, Feb 23 at 3:02 AM Where did the comments go? wrote ...

There were a bunch of comments here, but they aren't visible now.

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