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HOME > PUBLICATIONS > Exclusive: America’s Most Forgotten – School Bus Tragedy Ends in Death At The Hands Of Illegal Alien Driver

January 20, 2010

Exclusive: America’s Most Forgotten – School Bus Tragedy Ends in Death At The Hands Of Illegal Alien Driver

America’s Most Forgotten: The Victims of Illegal Alien Crime, Carolyn Cooke

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Editor’s note: This is the next in a continuing series about the forgotten victims of illegal alien crime – weekly stories you do not see in the mainstream media.
America’s Most Forgotten is dedicated to all of the innocent people and their families who have been victimized by illegal aliens as a result of the refusal of our elected officials to enforce United Statesimmigration law and to secure our borders. Americans remain unprotected from this unwanted invasion of unidentified people from across the world. No region of the country has been spared and the citizens presented come from all walks of life. Crisscrossing the nation, we have a predominantly African-American neighborhood in LA, then we skip to an affluent, successful woman in New York City and then to a rural Mississippi family hoping to escape big city crime and then to a Native American in small town. And on, and on, and on…
 
Many elected officials in the United States government are proponents of amnesty for illegal immigrants. They would like American citizens to believe that the foreign nationals crossing our borders are “poor dears” simply trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. Americans must remember: the individuals crossing our sovereign borders in violation of United States law are fully aware of their actions. It is more likely the case that these individuals, whose first action is an affront to American civil society, may engage in criminal activity once in the country. Americans have no way of knowing. Our government refuses to secure the border and enforce the immigration laws of the United States that would prevent and reverse the invasion of unidentified foreign nationals into America.
 
Let us look at the murder of innocents at the hands of illegal alien Olga Marina Franco Del Cid, a.k.a. Alianiss Nunez-Morales, from Guatemala.
 
On a cold winter afternoon in southwestern Minnesota, a school bus full of children from the small town of Cottonwood were chatting, teasing one another, laughing, enjoying the ride home at the end of the day. The school they attended was Lakeview, with 585 students, K-12. Without warning, a van driven by illegal alien Olga Franco ran a stop sign and broadsided the bus. The bus driver said “he did not have time to hit the brakes or accelerate.” The force of the collision toppled the school bus onto a pickup truck.
The driver of the pick up truck would later describe how he saw “a maroon van run a stop sign, it blew over the railroad tracks and hit the bus, sending it into me…”
 
On the afternoon of February 19, 2008, the parents of the 28 students gathered at Lakeview School to learn the fate of their children. Three students were killed instantly and one died at 8 p.m. that night. Two of the dead were brothers, 13-year-old Jesse and 9-year-old Hunter Javens. One was the daughter of a physical education teacher at Lakeview, 9-year-old Emilee Olson. Another was the son of a former Lakeview teacher, Reed Stevens, 12 years old. At least 14 other students along with the driver of the pick up truck were injured. Two children were in critical condition. Many of the children were treated for back and neck injuries, lacerations, bumps and bruises, a spokesman from Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center told the public.
 
A witness at the scene, Karen Mahlum, recounted the chaos. She witnessed the tragic accident and stopped to help. The bus driver handed children down to her from the vehicle’s escape hatch in the roof. Talking to Mark Steil of Minnesota Public Radio, she said, “Some of them had blood on them. A lot of them were crying that their head hurt, their arms; they were crying they wanted their mommies and daddies. They had a sister or brother on the bus that they wanted to get off the bus. A lot of real emotional stuff.” Another motorist who stopped to help remembers the “screaming and screaming” of the terrified children on the bus.
 
Emergency responders to the scene were helping children they knew and some were rescuing their own children.
 
It was unimaginable heartache for the children, their families and the small community. A life-long resident of Cottonwood summed up the feelings of many: “It will take a long time to recover from this. Oh heavens, there’s no time limit on that. It’ll be forever. It’ll never be the same.”
 

Emilee Olsen
 
Emilee Olsen was adopted from China by Charles and Traci Olsen when she was 10 months old. Emilee’s aunt, Terri Hutchinson, said it was love at first sight for the Olsen’s. Traci Olsen said she now relives the tragedy of her loss every day. “We say good night and good morning to an empty bed,” she said at the sentencing hearing of Franco. The talented little girl with a constant smile on her face who “lit up a room” was memorialized at a funeral gathering of more than one thousand mourners. 
 
Emilee’s brothers were on the bus that cold, blustery day. Riley, six years old, was sore but fine. Sidnee, 11 years old, heard his brother crying and scrambled to find him despite having a lacerated cornea from glass embedded in his head and a broken hand, reported Ms. Hutchinson. Sidnee could not find his sister.
 

 
Hunter Javens

 
Jesse Javens
 
The Javens brothers were remembered at a joint funeral held at Lakewood School on the Monday after the accident. Hunter’s casket followed his brother Jesse’s into the school gymnasium, packed with some 1,400 mourners. Hunter had a twin sister, Sasha, who turned 10 years old on the day of his memorial service. The crowd sang Happy Birthday to Sasha and she received a gift for Hunter.
 
The Rev. Gloria Anderson spoke of the lives the boys. Jesse loved sports, playing baseball, football and basketball. Hunter loved animals He had a horse named Toby.
Rev. Anderson said, “…the boys wanted us to remember them with a smile. They wanted us to remember the happy memories.”
 
Sobs broke through prayers.
 
 
 
Reed Stevens
 
Reed Stevens’ mother Kandi issued a statement describing Reed as “a young man who loved God, his country and his family. And he also loved his football family. We know he is with the Lord.” Reed’s two siblings were on the bus as well. His brother was injured and remained hospitalized in Sioux Falls with his family at his bedside. His sister had minor injuries.
 
Olga Franco was found guilty of driving the van that killed the four students. She told officers that she stopped at the stop sign and then the bus hit her. She maintained that her boyfriend was driving the van but she was extricated from behind the steering wheel. “There really in my mind is no explanation for how a person would get pinned in there, other than the fact she was driving,” said prosecutor Rick Maes. Because of the press and the closeness of the community, the defense was granted a change of venue for Franco’s trial.
 
Franco, a.k.a. Morales, was ticketed for driving without a license in 2006 and paid a fine of $182. Sandra Keding described what happened. “I stood up from the couch and looked out my window and this car was coming right toward my house,” she said. “The car hit the curb, came right up in my yard and stopped about 12 feet from the front of my house.” The story ended with Franco going free on the streets of Minnesota, instead of being deported, to kill four children.
 
Jurors found her guilty of four counts of vehicular manslaughter and twenty other charges related to the collision. Franco also faces a federal charge of identity theft. She presented the police at the scene of the crime with a false name, saying she was from Mexico, and a stolen social security card from Puerto Rico.
 
At the sentencing hearing, Kandi Stevens told the court, “Essentially, our entire family was killed that day.”
 
Olga Franco was sentenced to 12 and a half years in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Shakopee.
 
Americans should not have to live in fear in their own neighborhoods.
Enforcement legislation, passed by a few states, has led illegal aliens to leave because the magnets of jobs and taxpayer benefits have been removed. This is a dirty little secret that elected officials in Washington on both sides of the aisle do not want you to know.
 
Are you concerned about this epidemic of death at the hands of illegal aliens? Tell your elected officials what you think.
 
Contact the White House
Comments: 202.456.111
Switchboard: 202.456.1414
FAX: 202.456.2461
Webmail: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Click here for United States Senate contact information.
 
Click here for the United States House of Representatives contact information.
 
Editor’s note: Ms. Cooke is currently working full-time in Idaho with State Sen. Mike Jorgenson to get immigration enforcement legislation passed there, and therefore must temporarily suspend this series. Please check back in October!
FamilySecurityMatters.orgContributing Editor Carolyn Cooke is an American citizen activist committed to the preservation of a sovereign United States.

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  Comments (18)

we must make this "illegal alien" problem a super priorty & also regain control of our borders!! stop this liberal "play" for future votes & enforce the laws!! we are being over run by illegals/border babies that we will wind up supporting!! what a shame! we need politicians that will listen to us & correct these problems!! what has happened to our country??

posted by: GEORGE
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 08:48 AM

It made me sick to my stomach to read how these children suffered and died needlessly because President Obama is trying to pay back an election debt to the Hispanics who voted for him !!! If I lived in that community I don't know if I could hold myself back from taking an eye for an eye !!! There is no excuse for an illegal to be arrested, convicted, and then set free instead of being deported !!! Obama MUST stop turning a blind eye to the illegal aliens who have NO CONSIDERATION FOR THE AMERICAN CITIZENS they encounter !! They want to act like they are still in an Latin American country SO LETS SEND THEM THERE !!! ATTRITION THROUGH ENFORCEMENT!! NOT AMNESTY!!!

posted by: Craig J. Klima
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 09:02 AM

I read an article by Paul Craig Roberts last night about the US disreard for law. This is an example of such disregard. The real crimials, in my opinion, are the elected officials and government agency employees who knowingly choose to DISREGARD LAW. There are laws which govern immigration and illegal activities. When are WE THE PEOPLE going to tell our elected officials that they, too, are responsible to live within the law and are charged with the responsibility of enforcing our laws? The best way we tell them is by voting them ALL out of office. Thanks to FSM for being a light of awareness.

posted by: Larry Christesson
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 09:27 AM

Our elite political CLASS has no regard for anything other than that which would keep us out of and them into power

posted by: Wayne D Billings
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 09:39 AM

Here's a thought...how about kicking ALL illegals out of this country and we wouldn't have 10.2% unemployment,and I could get my job back from the Mexicans that took it.Then they won't be killing Americans either.We the people started last night in Mass.and we need to continue in Nov.Impeach oboma too because he doesn't care about the American people!Deport them all now and send oboma back to Kenya where he came from!

posted by: clayapatriot
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 10:49 AM

This is heartbreaking! All crimes committed by illegal aliens are 100% preventable. For 24 years our Presidents, Senators and Representatives have allowed the invasion and occupation of our country by untold millions of illegal aliens. We must enforce our laws and deport all illegal aliens, jail the criminal employers that hire them and vote out the leaders that have not protected us.

posted by: Estoban
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 01:04 PM

SADLY SPEAKING HERE, THIS IS NO BIG DEAL TO THOSE IN POWER. THESE DEATHS AND MANY,MANY MORE MEAN !NOTHING! TO THE DEVILS THAT WILL SOON WIN IT ALL WITHOUT MUCH OF A FIGHT FROM US!

WELCOME DEAR-HEARTS TO THE

"THE NEW WORLD ORDER"

TIME TO BE CONTROLLED BY [X]

posted by: Paul West
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 01:41 PM

The time has come for Americans to start cleaning house in Congress. Starting this November, don't vote for any candidate who's running for a House or Senate seat in Congress who supports amnesty for illegal alien lawbreakers.
It's time for each angry American to put their foot down and let these politicians know exactly how we feel.

posted by: Maria
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 06:16 PM

FACE IT GUYS, THE CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE IS DEFINING. THE MOMENT SOME POLITICIAN CALLS FOR LEGISLATION TO TRUTHFULLY DEAL WITH THE ILLEGAL ALIEN PROBLEM HE'S VILIFIED AND HUNG OUT TO DRY. GOOD LUCK!

posted by: thomas
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 07:47 PM

In the USA there is a horde of illogical uttering that is obviously propaganda from a powered elite class with control over the mass media that IS brainwashing many USA citizens into believing that:

Diversity is our strength.

No mention of what "diversity" is or how to define it. Just that We, the People, must accept it, even embrace it!!!!

Yet, I wonder how much "diversity" I would witness if I entered the areas where the USA's wealthy and powerful elite classes live?

I guarantee there would be a small, if any, minority of those from the working-poor or lower demographics present and that the elite's spawn would not have to contend with Chicano gangs at school or in their neighborhoods.

In the USA MANY of those preaching the wonders and desirability of diversity and multi-culturalism do not practice what they spew.

But, it is good enough for the lower classes.

It is only a matter of time until the USA is rent asunder and the elites and corporate America can initiate their desired oligarchy.

Divide and conquer.

There's class warfare, all right, Mr. (Warren) Buffett said, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning.

posted by: Obbop
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 08:45 PM

Shame on Mr. Obama. I used to think Mr. George Bush was wonderful. However, what bothered me about him is that he allowed so many of those illegals to come inhere. But I dislike Mr. Obama much more. Mr. Obama is ashamed of us. He hates the American People. He runs around the world apologizing for us!
Mr. Obama has made our country very weak in the eyes of the world. I can't wait for the chance to vote him out of office!
He is the worst thing that has happened to us. He learned how to hate us from his Reverend Wright and from his friends who hate us because we are Christians and Jews and he loves the countries who hate us.
He is trying to run th9is country as if it is a small city, CHICAGO. We are a large country Mr. Obama, the small time fake gangster tricks won't work here Mr. Obama. We will vote you and your pals right out of here. Go live with your illegal pals.

posted by: Abraham Stubenhaus
Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 09:25 AM

Echoing what one of the poster here said, one of the things that most destressed me about Bush 43 was his unforgivable stand on (illegal) immigration. He wanted to keep the borders as porous as possible, and he was one of those who led the charge to "overhaul" our immigration laws (they're fairly adequate if enforced!). Also, he led the administration in officially (and unofficially) dragging its feet on the completion of the border fence that, where it's in place, has proved extremely effective. Finally, he let that corrupt prosecutor friend of his ruin the lives of two patriotic border patrol agents - and only commuted their remaining sentences: He did NOT pardon them as so many of his (former) supporters had foolishly hoped, prayed and expected he would. To me, that was Bush's greatest "crime" and certainly the source of my greatest disappointment in the man who falsely claimed to be a Conservative ("compassionate" or not!).

posted by: Joy
Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 09:48 AM

The Security and Prosperity Partnership entered into by Bush43, is the motivation behind amnesty for illegals, and maintaining a constant flow of illegals. The plan is to create a North American Union, much like the European one. This administration is simply continuing the march toward it.

posted by: Awakened Patriot
Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 02:10 PM

And this couldn't happen at the hands of a legal, non-alien driver?

This is really grasping for straws in your campaign fighting against illegal aliens.

posted by: Joe Wright
Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 03:36 PM

CALL -OUR- CONGRESS @ 866 220 0044
DEMAND -OUR- IMMIGRATION LAWS BE ENFORCED !!!
E-VERIFY FOR -ALL- JOBS & GOV`t. PROGRAMS !!!
287g->NATIONWIDE TO FIND & DEPORT -ALL- ILLEGAL ALIENS !!!
Send "FREE FAXES" To -OUR- CONGRESS @ http://www.capsweb.org & http://www.numbersusa.com
Learn more about ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION @ http://www.americanpatrol.com - http://www.theterryandersonshow.com - http://www.outragedpatriots.com - ojjpac.org - cis.org - ccir.net .
A BETTER LIFE ??? -google search-> work in the states build a life in mexico -WINTER HOMES AFTER AMNESTY ??? HOW NICE !!!
thanks
GOD BLESS THE U.S.!!!

posted by: GET INVOLVED
Friday, January 22, 2010 at 02:53 AM

Some of this is due to law enforcement's lack of due diligence.

I was struck by an unlicenced, uninsured, illegal alien who attempted to flee the scene. Basically it was a hit and run. The illegal was forced to stop by those who had witnessed the accident.

The highway patrol didn't take this person into custody, they didn't cite him. They allowed him to park his vehicle on the side of the road to have it recovered by a licensed driver.

They just let him walk away from the accident.

I looked at the patrolman and asked what he was doing, and the response was "It isn't even worth the paperwork". When I protested I was threatened with arrest for "impeding an officer".

posted by: JT
Friday, January 22, 2010 at 01:42 PM

Joe, sure it could have happened with a US citizen in the truck but like the other poster said, it was 100% preventable IF OUR LAWS WERE ENFORCED. If you cannot see how our country is being bled out socially and economically by illegals,you are blind/deaf/dumb. This isn't grasping at straws--it's simply wanting justice for the victims,for future victims that don't have to be! Enforce the law--is all we want.What do you think Mexico does to illegals? They are NOT treated gently,given free medical, education, welfare etc.They are put in jail or forcefully removed. Open your eyes!

posted by: shanecomeback
Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 11:21 AM

Some specialists say that business loans help people to live the way they want, because they are able to feel free to buy necessary goods. Furthermore, some banks present student loan for all people.

posted by: HeadHaley
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 05:16 AM