FULTON COUNTY, Ind. (WOWO) – Jurors heard several people testify during the first day of the trial for a woman who killed three children and injured one at a school bus stop in Fulton County.

24-year-old Alyssa Shepherd is facing five charges in connection with the death of twins, Xzavier and Mason Ingle, and their nine-year-old sister Alivia Stahl who were struck by a vehicle while trying to board a school bus in October of 2018.  11-year-old Maverik Lowe was also struck, but survived and has had a brutal recovery from several broken bones and internal injuries.

The bus driver stated on the witness stand that he waved the kids to cross over, then panicked when the approaching truck didn’t stop, according to our partners in news at ABC 21.  He said the truck didn’t even hit the brakes before the impact.

The school bus driver became emotional on the witness stand as they were describing the final seconds before Alyssa Shepherd allegedly struck the students as they were trying to get on the bus.

A woman who was driving behind Shepherd stated she saw the school bus and hit her brakes to stop.  She adds that Shepherd did not slow down and instead, hit the children who were crossing the road to board the bus.

The mother of the twins and the older girl who was killed, Brittaney Ingle, told the jury that she ran to the scene after hearing screams.  She then saw her daughter Alivia Stahl lying near the road and told her “I love you, please hold on.”  She cried when photos of her children were shown to the jury.

Prosecutors said to the jury that Shepherd had 15 to 20 seconds to react to keep from hitting the children. In turn, the defense disputed that and told the jury that there is no evidence Shepherd was texting or engaged in any type of distracted driving.

Shepherd maintains that she saw a vehicle on the other side of the road but did not recognize it was a school bus.

The trial is scheduled to go through Friday, October 18.