Carnival rampage puzzles authorities
Troy man faces series of felony charges; police say he drove into
church crowd in Southfield
The Detroit News (Detroit, Michigan)
May 25, 2006
By Joe Menard
SOUTHFIELD — Police and prosecutors say they have no idea why a
34-year-old Troy man appeared to intentionally plow his minivan into a
festival crowd Sunday, injuring 13 people, including children as young
as 6.
“It’s completely inexplicable,” Oakland County Prosecutor David
Gorcyca said. “Rarely do you see anyone intentionally drive at women
and children and mow them down like they were pylons. It’s an absolute
miracle that nobody was killed.”
Timothy Hall Buss, who worked as an orderly at Beaumont Hospital, is
facing a flurry of felony charges, including 13 counts of assault with
intent to kill, 13 counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, fleeing
the scene of an injury accident and malicious destruction of
property. The most serious charges carry a possible life sentence. He
is being held on $1.3 million cash bond.
Buss, dressed in blue jeans and an untucked maroon button-down shirt,
stood mute with his head lowered Wednesday morning as Judge Susan
M. Moiseev read the charges against him. He requested a
court-appointed attorney before being led out of the courtroom. He
mouthed “I love you” to family members in the courtroom as he was
escorted away.
Nine children and four adults suffered injuries ranging from scrapes
and bruises to broken bones when a 1994 Plymouth Grand Voyager drove
into a crowd at around 2 p.m. Sunday at an outdoor carnival at the
Alex Manoogian School at St. John’s Armenian Church.
After first veering onto the school property at speeds of 59 miles per
hour or more, police say Buss slowed to a near stop as bystanders
jumped in front of the van and onto its side in an attempt to stop the
driver or get his keys. An Allen Park man injured his hand when he
punched out a window on the van before it sped off toward the crowd,
throwing the man from the vehicle.
The van then proceeded to hit several people and plow into three
inflatable Moonwalk children’s events, police said.
“I ran after the van. I warned him to stop,” said Hosep Torossian,
principal of the school on Northwest Highway near Nine Mile. “He
wouldn’t listen.”
A 35-year-old Farmington Hills woman who was holding her 3-year-old
son when she was hit suffered a fractured pelvis and tailbone and is
hospitalized; her injuries are not believed to be
life-threatening. The remaining victims have been treated and
released.
Torossian said five of the six students injured have returned to
school
Buss admitted to drinking earlier in the day, police said, but it is
unclear whether alcohol played a role in the incident. Buss admitted
to substance abuse problems and said he had been through a
rehabilitation program.
He was arrested at his Troy home about nine hours after the incident,
and police were unable to determine whether he was drunk when he drove
into the crowd.
Police say he didn’t appear to have a specific target as he veered
through the school lot more than 17 miles away from his home.
“You can rule out the domestic or hate crimes,” said Southfield Police
Detective Sgt. John Harris. “He did not have any reason to target the
carnival.”
Buss’ preliminary exam conference has been set for 8:30 a.m. May 31,
and the preliminary exam is set for 9:30 a.m. June 2.
You can reach Joe Menard at (248) 647-7429 or [email protected]
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
