Area man fined for drugs after bus crash

A Springfield man will pay a fine for drug possession and for leaving the scene of an accident with a school bus that sent two children to the hospital.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20100428/THISJUSTIN/4280351 # # # # Area man fined for drugs after bus crash

Rutland Herald

Published: April 28, 2010

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — A Springfield man will pay a fine for drug possession and for leaving the scene of an accident with a school bus that sent two children to the hospital.

Kevin L. Coonce, 23, pleaded guilty Tuesday in White River Junction District Court to misdemeanor charges of leaving the scene of an accident and marijuana possession.

According to affidavits filed with the court, around 4 p.m. March 3, police responded to a report of a crash involving a school bus on Furnace Street. Police interviewed the bus driver, who said she was driving down the street when a dark-colored Jeep backed out of a driveway, struck the rear end of the bus and drove off, records state.

Police later found a black Jeep with a broken tail light and yellow paint transfer and spoke with the driver — Coonce — who initially claimed the bus had struck his vehicle and he had fled the scene because he was afraid of police, records state. Coonce later told police he ran because he did not have any insurance, according to court records.

As police spoke with Coonce, they smelled burnt marijuana and upon further questioning Coonce handed over a plastic baggie containing less than 2 grams of pot, affidavits state.

The crash left an 8-year-old girl with a minor head injury and a 14-year-old boy with shoulder pain and they were transported to Springfield Hospital for treatment, records state. Police estimated the damage to the bus to be about $300 and the damage to Coonce's Jeep at $500.

The charges against Coonce carry a maximum penalty of two and a half years in prison and $2,500 in fines, but under the plea agreement he will pay $742 in fines and surcharges.

Coonce also received a civil violation for driving without insurance with a fine of $156.