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Fort Scott woman charged in fataility
A Fort Scott woman who was involved in a fatal one-vehicle accident late last year was arrested Saturday by Fort Scott police.
Vanessa Hershey, 30, 802 Heylman, was arrested shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday on a Bourbon County warrant for several charges she faces, including involuntary manslaughter while driving, driving while under the influence of alcohol, possession of simulated controlled substances, transporting an open container, and racing on highways.
On Dec. 1, while traveling north with her family on the outside lane of U.S. Highway 69 near Shepherd Team Auto Plaza, Hershey lost control of the 1998 Toyota passenger car she was driving and over corrected, causing the vehicle to travel across the inside lane of southbound traffic and strike a curb on the vehicle's passenger side. The vehicle became airborne, rolled several times and finally came to rest on 19th Street, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol report of the accident.
The accident resulted in the death of Hershey's daughter, 12-year-old Monica Hershey, who died a short time after being transported to Mercy Health Center. Vanessa suffered unknown injuries during the crash and was eventually life flighted to St. John's Medical Center. Vanessa's son, Jason Hershey, 13, was another passenger in the vehicle at the time of the accident. He was ejected from the vehicle and suffered unknown injuries.
According to the KHP report, none of the vehicle's occupants were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident.