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Lane Brown, LLC Retained to Represent Victims of New Prairie School Bus Accident

Lane Brown, LLC is actively representing two victims of a serious school bus accident. The crash, which happened around 3:15 pm on May 8, 2025, took place at the intersection of U.S. 20 and Fail Road in LaPorte, Indiana.

During the incident, a box truck, operated by Shawn Akison, rear-ended a New Prairie High School mini bus. The crash occurred at a high rate of speed, causing the minibus to overturn and collide with another school bus.

At the time of the collision, both buses were transporting members of the New Prairie High School baseball team. Sadly, two coaches and seven students were injured in the crash, including a 16-year-old sophomore who was ejected from the bus. The sophomore was airlifted from the crash site and transported to a local hospital in critical condition. As of today, the student is out of intensive care, but still faces a long road to total recovery.

The Current Case Against Akison

Shawn Akison, the driver of the box truck that caused the collision, has been charged with criminal recklessness and is being held on bail. Preliminary investigations by police revealed that Akison has a significant criminal and traffic-offense history. The investigation also revealed that the box truck, which was owned by Enterprise, was being used to transport goods for Amazon at the time of the crash.

In the moments following the school bus accident, the officials who questioned Akison ordered a toxicology report after noting his slow, lethargic responses to questioning. Akison initially refused testing, despite on-site testing being common practice following an accident of this severity. Recently, toxicology results came back positive for fentanyl, and several criminal charges related to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated have been added to the criminal case.

Next Steps in the Case

The criminal trial for Akison is set to begin on October 14, 2025. In the meantime, many of the accident victims are filing personal injury claims against Akison and related parties.

Partners Nick Kamenjarin and Scott D. Lane are handling the case on behalf of Lane Brown, LLC, which is actively investigating all aspects of the incident. The investigation includes the conduct of the driver, Shawn Akison; his employer, Elite Courier, Inc.; the owner of the truck, Enterprise; and the owner of the cargo being transported, Amazon.

If you have any information about Shawn Akison, Elite Courier, Amazon’s involvement, or the circumstances of the crash, please contact Nick Kamenjarin at (312) 332-1400. Any information you provide may help ensure accountability and support those affected.

About Lane Brown, LLC

Lane Brown, LLC is a personal injury law firm based in Chicago, Illinois, that specializes in wrongful death, car, and commercial truck accident cases. The firm was established by veteran trial attorneys who stand for the rights of badly injured accident victims and their families. To date, Lane Brown, LLC has won thousands of cases for its clients, some of which resulted in multimillion-dollar awards and settlements. If you believe you have a personal injury case or were involved in the New Prairie School Bus accident and wish to provide us with information, please contact us at (312) 332-1400.