Pine River Bus Driver Sentenced In Fatal Bus Accident

Westal John Maine, 74, Tuesday was sentenced in Cass County District Court for violating the Minnesota statute which prohibits the movement of a school bus after children are unloaded without first visually determining that all children are a safe distance from the bus.  Maine was the driver of a school bus which ran over and killed 6-year old Evan Lee Lindquist just after dropping him off on March 22 near the City of Pine River.  Ninth Judicial District Court Judge David Ten Eyck imposed a sentence of 10-days in the Cass County Jail and a fine of $135.00 for the misdemeanor offense.  All of the jail time was suspended for a period of one year provided Maine complies with certain conditions.  Included in those conditions that Maine participate in a speaking engagement with area bus drivers in an effort to educate them and stress the importance of school bus operator safety.  He is also ordered to write a letter to the family of the deceased child explaining what happened at the time of the accident and was ordered to participate in victim-offender mediation, if the family requests it.