Hershey granted continuance

Vanessa Hershey was granted a continuance during a preliminary hearing Thursday in Bourbon County District Court.

According to court documents, the next hearing date for Hershey, who is incarcerated at the Southeast Kansas Regional Correctional Center due to her involvement in a fatal one-vehicle accident late last year, is a status conference scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 17.

Bob Farmer, Hershey's attorney in the case, filed three motions during Thursday's preliminary; for a continuance of the case, to reduce Hershey's bond, and for Hershey to submit to periodic drug and alcohol assessments, court documents said.

The reason Farmer made a motion for a continuance, according to court documents, is to allow more time to meet with his client due to a congested schedule, and because granting a continuance may allow the matter to proceed without the need for a formal trial. Hershey is currently considering her options and how she wishes to proceed in the case, documents said.

Hershey was arrested in late May 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 and drug paraphernalia, transporting an open container, and racing on highways.

On Dec. 1, 2008, Hershey lost control of the 1998 Toyota passenger car she was driving northbound on the inside lane of U.S. Highway 69 near Shepherd Team Auto Plaza and entered the outside lane. Hershey over corrected, which caused the vehicle to travel across the inside lane of southbound traffic and strike a curb on the vehicle's passenger side. The vehicle then became airborne, rolled several times and came to a rest on 19th Street.

The accident resulted in the death of Hershey's 12-year-old daughter, Monica Hershey. Vanessa suffered unknown injuries during the crash and was eventually transported by helicopter to St. John's Regional Medical Center. Her son, Jason Hershey, another passenger in the vehicle, was ejected from the vehicle and was also injured. None of the vehicle's occupants were wearing safety restraints at the time of the accident.

In order to meet the terms of the reduced bond motion, Hershey must not be deemed a flight risk, maintain employment, submit to random drug tests, report to the court regularly and be available for all scheduled court appearances, according to court documents.