TRIAL SET IN FESTIVAL TRAGEDY
Joe Menard / The Detroit News

DetNews.com, MI
June 8 2006

SOUTHFIELD — A 34-year-old Troy man will stand trial on 28 felony
charges in a school-carnival crash that injured 13 people after a
judge ruled Wednesday that there is enough evidence to try him on
charges of assault with intent to kill.

Timothy Hall Buss, 34, is expected to be arraigned in 6th Circuit
Court on June 19.

At his preliminary hearing Wednesday, witnesses to the May 21
incident outside the Alex Manoogian School at St. John’s Armenian
Church detailed how Buss ignored their pleas to stop his minivan and
proceeded to plow into festivalgoers, including children as young as 6.

“I saw six kids get hit by the van. The kids were like bowling pins,”
said business owner Michael Kayayan. He said he saw Buss drive over
a woman’s legs, breaking both ankles. “I actually saw the tire run
over her ankles. It sounded like a tree branch breaking.”

Witnesses said the incident started at around 2 p.m., when Buss slammed
his 1994 Plymouth Grand Voyager into a metal abutment separating the
school grounds from a service drive for the Southfield Freeway. They
say Buss then drove the van onto the school grounds at a high speed.

Several parents pleaded with Buss to stop, and one man punched out
Buss’ driver’s side window, but Buss turned into the crowd, hitting
13 people before speeding off, witnesses said.

He was arrested about nine hours later at his home.

Buss had an emotionless expression as he sped through the crowd,
witnesses said, and avoided eye contact.

He is being held on a $1.3 million bond.

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