Stoneville youth struck, killed at school bus stop

A McMichael High sophomore was struck and killed Monday morning as he crossed the road to board a school bus.

Nick Adkins, 16, of 208 W. Main Street in Stoneville, died about 7 a.m. after being struck by an sport utility vehicle that failed to stop for a bus waiting on N.C. 770 to pick up students from Westridge Apartments.

Maj. Roger Harris of the Stoneville Police Department said witnesses confirmed the westbound bus had come to complete stop and that all warning lights and the stop arm were activated. Adkins started to cross the road to the bus when he was struck by the eastbound vehicle.

“He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt that he had cinched down tight to protect his head from the cold,” Harris said. “The SUV apparently hit him at speed and knocked him about 75 feet from the point of impact. He died within a minute or so at the scene.”

Witnesses reported the bus driver saw the vehicle was not going to stop and sounded the horn to alert Adkins, but it was too late.

Judy Earlene Stilwell, 60, of Stoneville was driving the 2004 Chevrolet Tracker that struck Adkins. Harris said the investigation revealed no evidence that drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident. Stilwell was taken into custody by Stoneville Lt. Frank Moore, the investigating officer, at the scene and her car was impounded for examination.

“Ms. Stilwell cooperated fully in the investigation and she has been very shaken by the incident,” Harris said.

After consulting with Rockingham County District Attorney Phil Berger Jr., Harris said Stilwell was charged with “passing a stopped school bus involving injury or death.” The charge is a Class I felony that was just added to state statutes in December 2008.

Stilwell was released on $15,000 bail and will appear in court Feb. 10.

Malerie Neal, 18, and her sister, Miosha, 15, neighbors of Adkins and fellow McMichael students, were walking toward the bus stop from their apartment when the accident occurred.

“The bus had stopped and Nick started to cross the road when the car hit him,” said Malerie. “I took off running and started beating on his door to get his mother, then went to get my mom.”

Monday afternoon the two girls and their mother, Mela Neal, placed a memorial cross near the place where Adkins died.

“It was a traumatic thing for everyone in the community,” said Mela Neal. “He hadn’t lived here long, but he seemed like such a nice young man. It will take a long time for all of us to get over something this tragic.”

Neal’s daughters were supposed to go to school Monday morning for the last day of first-semester exams, but McMichael principal Roger Whitley told them they could reschedule.

Whitley, along with Superintendent Rodney Shotwell and Western Rockingham Middle School principal George Murphy, arrived at the scene within 30 minutes of the accident. Concerned with the “emotional well-being” of the other students, the administrators talked with students and others at the scene to provide as much support as possible.

“From the time we found out about this, there has been something in the works to help the students cope with this,” Shotwell said.

Shotwell said it had been 12 years since he has had to deal with a tragedy involving a student as a superintendent or principal.

“When you deal with something like this, it’s a defining moment in someone’s life,” he said.

Understanding the mental well-being of the students witnessing the accident was more important than the exam scheduled for Monday morning, Whitley told students they had the option of taking the test at a later date.

Whitley announced Adkins’ death to other McMichael students following the end of the scheduled exam period. Grief counselors and school psychologists were made available for students throughout the school day.

Harris said response to the scene was quick and widespread across the county and departments. In addition to the Stoneville police and Highway Patrol, responders included Madison and Mayodan police departments, Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office, Madison-Rockingham Rescue Squad and Stoneville and Madison fire departments.

“We needed all the support we could get at this scene,” Harris said. “We had to block off a large section of 770 for a couple hours to investigate this accident fully.”

The scene was cleared shortly before 9 a.m., but Highway Patrol investigators continued their examination of the scene for several hours.

News Editor Steve Lawson can be reached at slawson@reidsvillereview.com.