No Charges Filed Against Drivers In Ector County Crash That Killed 3 Children
By: Dylan Brooks
Updated: September 11, 2012
ECTOR COUNTY -- No charges will be filed for an accident along an Ector County highway that claimed 3 children's lives.
An Ector County grand jury has decided not to file charges against drivers Nicole Sheesley and Linda Ariaza for their roles in the May 29th crash.
Texas Department of Public Safety troopers say Ariaza, 62, was driving a minivan on U.S. 385 north of Odessa when she slowed down to make a U-turn.
Ariaza was reportedly planning on turning around to deliver a spare tire to a disabled vehicle on the other side of the road.
However, Sheesley -- who was driving a pickup truck -- reportedly rear-ended the minivan with a pickup truck.
The impact from the crash tore off the back of the minivan.
Three children in the minivan -- 4-year-old Alaina Elvita Belis, 11-year-old Jamie Marie Belis and 8-year-old Ruben Julius Belis -- were pronounced dead at the scene.
All 3 children were from Seminole.
Ariaza, 26-year-old Madonna Belis, and 29-year-old Carlos Osvaldo Amaton were all rushed to Medical Center Hospital after with varying injuries after the crash.
All three adults -- who later recovered from their injuries -- were in the minivan at the time of the crash.
Sheesley wasn't injured in the crash.
Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland says although there was evidence that both drivers could have been at fault, a D.P.S. investigation found no evidence of any criminal activity on the part of either driver.
For that reason, neither driver will face charges.
An Ector County grand jury has decided not to file charges against drivers Nicole Sheesley and Linda Ariaza for their roles in the May 29th crash.
Texas Department of Public Safety troopers say Ariaza, 62, was driving a minivan on U.S. 385 north of Odessa when she slowed down to make a U-turn.
Ariaza was reportedly planning on turning around to deliver a spare tire to a disabled vehicle on the other side of the road.
However, Sheesley -- who was driving a pickup truck -- reportedly rear-ended the minivan with a pickup truck.
The impact from the crash tore off the back of the minivan.
Three children in the minivan -- 4-year-old Alaina Elvita Belis, 11-year-old Jamie Marie Belis and 8-year-old Ruben Julius Belis -- were pronounced dead at the scene.
All 3 children were from Seminole.
Ariaza, 26-year-old Madonna Belis, and 29-year-old Carlos Osvaldo Amaton were all rushed to Medical Center Hospital after with varying injuries after the crash.
All three adults -- who later recovered from their injuries -- were in the minivan at the time of the crash.
Sheesley wasn't injured in the crash.
Ector County District Attorney Bobby Bland says although there was evidence that both drivers could have been at fault, a D.P.S. investigation found no evidence of any criminal activity on the part of either driver.
For that reason, neither driver will face charges.
