1. Pickup kills 7-year-old girl near Kensett

 

No one gets into journalism to write news like the sentence that appeared on the Albert Lea Tribune website the morning of May 10 and in the print edition the next day: “A 7-year-old girl was struck and killed by a truck Tuesday morning as she walked across the road to board a Northwood-Kensett school bus.”

Near 7:45 a.m. that day, Kadyn Jade Halverson began another day by crossing Worth County Road S52 at her babysitter’s house to get on a school bus. The smiley, bubbly, blue-eyed blonde girl loved to go to school.

The lights were flashing on the bus. The stop arm was extended. But a driver of a red 2002 Chevy Silverado pickup blew through the stop arm, hit the girl sending her 60 feet into a ditch, then continued on. The suspect, apprehended later, was Aaron Gunderson, a 31-year-old man from Northwood.

Her aunt said: “She was always excited to go and she liked doing her homework, too. She was the happiest, most energetic little girl. She was always excited to see everyone. There were lots of hugs and kisses.”

In July, dozens of people gathered in Northwood at the high school track for a candlelight vigil. People recalled how the girl liked riding on farm equipment or how she put on puppet shows. A reverend said Kadyn never waited to tell people caring or loving words.

In September, Gunderson was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an injury accident resulting in death. The court documents alleged he was driving at 60 mph at the time and said he tested positive for marijuana use.

The investigation found he had more than 3,000 feet to notice the bus and witnesses said he reportedly stopped for a moment, then fled. He was headed to a place 1 1/2 miles south and west of the scene.

There, he spoke with a friend, investigators said. He told the man he had hit a deer when he passed a school bus and said he “hoped it was not a kid.” He also told the man he had an eye disorder and ought not be driving.

Gunderson pleaded not guilty to the charges. In November, he asked for a change of venue to a court outside of Worth County. In the week before Christmas, the judge ordered a hearing for Jan. 6 to discuss a possible plea bargain in the case.

Residents dedicated a memorial in September near the Northwood swimming pool.