Family Feels Closure

A family moves nearer to closure as a Tri-Valley bus driver changes her plea to charges connected to a June 2010 bus accident that killed 6-year-old Kasey King.

In Muskingum County Court Friday morning, 48-year-old Carol Oler, who had plead not guilty to misdemeanor counts of vehicular homicide, vehicular manslaughter and failure to control entered a plea of no contest to the vehicular manslaughter and failure to control charges..

For entering her plea, the charge of vehicular homicide was dropped as Judge Jay Vinsel entered a guilty finding. The plea ends a chapter for King’s parents.

"I’d like to thank Lt. Rine and Trooper Archer from the State Highway Patrol for their investigative work that they did in this case," said Kasey’s father Joe Thomas. "The Muskingum County Prosecutor’s for their help and my lawyer, Mark Kaido. I think we’re on our way to closure in this case and that’s it."

Friends and co-workers of Oler were also in the courtroom. They also struggle with the loss.

"We see each other. Those kids on the bus are like her own kids," said Tri-Valley bus driver Debbie Harrison. "I  mean we all feel terrible for the family and for Carol."

A pre-sentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date set for the end of March. The charge of vehicular manslaughter carries a maximum of 90 days in jail, while the failure to control charge carries a maximum $150.00 fine.

Oler declined to comment on the case and Tri-Valley’s superintendent  Mark Neal, couldn’t be reached for comment. Oler remains on unpaid administrative leave. Kasey King was the first child passenger to die in an Ohio school bus crash in 22 years.