“This decision was made at the request of the family of Aiden Clark,” Driscoll said in a Facebook post. “All the other families with children who were involved in the crash, as well as bus driver Gene Collier, have been made aware.”
Clark, 11, was killed in the elementary school bus crash when a minivan went left of center, struck the bus and caused it to roll onto its top with 52 students aboard on the first day of school.
Northwestern students and community members placed flowers, stuffed animals, markers and other tributes at the crash site on Troy Road at Lawrenceville.
“While the families greatly appreciate the outpouring of support from the community, the memorial created at the site is a heavy reminder of the loss experienced in the Aug. 22 crash,” Driscoll said. “The families would ask that the community support them in moving forward without the daily, visual reminder at the crash scene.”
Tonight, my office has asked local law enforcement to remove the memorial created at the site of the Northwestern...
Posted by Clark County Prosecutor Daniel Driscoll on Thursday, August 31, 2023
The Clark family also issued its first public statement since the crash on Thursday, asking for privacy, thanking the community for its support and the heartache and emptiness they have felt since Aiden’s death.
“I would ask that you continue to pray for these families and support them as they continue to heal,” Driscoll said.
Hermanio Joseph, 35, faces first-degree felony involuntary manslaughter and fourth-degree felony vehicular homicide charges. If convicted, he could spend six to 12 months in jail for the vehicular homicide charge and anywhere from three to 16.5 years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter charge, Driscoll said this week.
Joseph presented to law enforcement a driver’s license from Mexico, which was invalid due to his immigration status. He is from Haiti and migrated to Springfield.