Northwood, Iowa, pushes for law in wake of fatality

NORTHWOOD, Iowa — Community members of 7-year-old Kadyn Halverson, who was struck and killed this month by a pickup while she crossed the street to board a school bus, are coming together to encourage changes in legislation involving school bus safety.

Those changes include a camera to spot drivers who violate the stop arm.

Kim Koenings, who is organizing efforts to advocate for “Kadyn’s Law,” said she decided to begin promoting change two days after Kadyn’s death on May 10.

Having two daughters who had been on the same bus route as Kadyn up until the year before and having a daughter who was friends with Kadyn, Koenings decided to stop being angry about the situation and focus instead on what can be done to change any similar potential outcomes for other children.

“I soon realized this tragedy could have and still could happen to anyone’s child … That is when I decided something had to be done,” she said on a website created about the effort, www.kadynslaw.com.

Koenings is reaching out to legislators and community leaders in hopes of going to the capitol for the 2012 legislative session.

And thus far, she writes on the website, the response to the effort has been “overwhelmingly positive.”

Under Kadyn’s Law:

• Every bus in Iowa would have a camera system to catch an image of people who run stopped school buses.

• Fines would be raised for people who run stopped school buses while their stop signs are out. Proposed fines are $1,000 for the first offense, $2,000 for the second offense and $3,000 for the third offense.

• The driver committing the violation would lose their license for six months after the first offense, one year after the second offense and permanently after the third offense.

• If an incident occurs with a school bus because of failure to stop while the stop signs are out and a student is injured or killed, the driver of the perpetrating vehicle would lose his or her license on the spot and go to jail pending charges.

In the meantime, however, before the next legislative session begins, Koenings said she hopes to promote tying hot pink and teal blue ribbons around as many trees as possible.

She hopes to find out where all of the state’s legislators live in the state and make sure they see the ribbons.

She and others will also be selling graphics that can be tied to a tree or used as a yard sign, along with selling T-shirts.

All money received will go to Kadyn’s Law account at NSB Bank in Northwood. Funds will be used to promote the efforts and help the family with any expenses in going down to the capitol.

There is also a Facebook page created for the effort under “Kadyn’s Law.”

“If you just can help pray for all involved to get this done,” Koenings said on the website. “There is power in numbers.”

At the time of Kadyn’s collision, her school bus was stopped at 4336 Raven Ave. in the northbound side of the road with its lights flashing and stop sign out.

The driver of the pickup, Aaron Dwayne Gunderson, 31, of Northwood, Iowa, reportedly failed to stop for the school bus, hit the child and then fled. He was apprehended by Worth County Sheriff’s Office deputies shortly after.

Authorities are still investigating the incident and charges are pending.

Kadyn, of rural Kensett, was known as a smiley, bubbly girl who loved school.