Weird Teacher Watch: Vilma Rivas Buchala Charged In Hit-And-Run Of 8-Year-Old Girl

• That's a sad story, Grandma

• My sister was hit & killed last month while she was crossing the street. She was in the crosswalk. Some say she walked on a red light, others say the light turned red before she made it to the other side. The woman that killed her stopped and waited for the police. I am thankful for that. I am sad that she will go thru life knowing she killed someone. I am sad for her children that witnessed it. Some run, some stick around. My prayers are with both families.

• I saw a kindergarten boy hit in front of the school, early last school year. I was there picking up my grandbabies. Instead of this child walking to crossing guard, he saw his dad near the car and he walked to edge of sidewalk. Instead of telling him to go to crossing guard. Dad told him to cross. he was hit but a pickup truck that was doing a little faster then he should have been doing. The child was killed. The guy stopped and jumped out of truck. The father came over and started hitting the guy from the truck until parents all over puled them apart. NO ONE but the crossing guard was with the child. When the cops got there the boy was already gone. And the father (shit for brains that he is) took off running to the complex where they lived. Left his car and ran. Then we hear a women running and screaming up the hill! The story came out later. The truck driver wasn't charged. it was an accident. The father had no parental rights and shouldn't have been there (that's why he wasn't on school grounds) Child was walking home with other kids. So father was charged with assult (against the truck guy) and violation of a restraining order. But the child died. and i can't think how the driver (or the father) must feel. Ok no more personal stories. Sorry.

• See, i would have done the same thing if someone came running towards me threaten. I would have gotten into my car and went around the corner or down the street and wait for cops. I personally have experienced both sides of this coin. My son was hit by a Uhaul truck when he was 8 yrs old. the truck ran through the crossing guard at the school. Him (he died) and my son were the only ones in the street at the time. They had to back the truck over my son's foot to get him out. He ended up with all bones in his right foot broken. They said what saved his foot from being removed was he was wearing the new sneakers that had velco on them as closures. The crossing gaurd wasn't so lucky. Older man, was hit full on (he was thrown into my son who went under truck back tires.) and landed about 25 ft away on his head. DOA at the scene. The kid (yeah a kid-- just 18 yrs old) didn't run. but wouldn't get out of truck until cops got there. he got 10 yrs. So i would say he is out and hoepfully a functioning member of society now. Then a few years later, i lived in a complex. As i was going to check mail a small boy (maybe 4 or 5) ran out into street and I couldn't stop. I wasn't going very fast (thank God) and the child didn't die. Had a few broken bones and such. No one was outside at that moment so i sent my daughter back to apt to call cops. Then people started coming out of their places. The mother didn't come out until the cops got there. I was charged with personal injury accident and "booked". But after investigating the police determined that the child hit me (not me hitting him) and that i wasn't going over 5 miles (something in the engine of my car?) Every charge was dimissed. The mother tried to say she saw me hit the child. But CPS was called in and there is another story there! My insurance pd all medical bills and when the family attempted to civil sue me, the judge through it out as frivous. Bottom line, i didn't run. I sat there and held this child while i cried waiting for the cops. This teacher could have driven down the road. Or better yet? Drove to the cop who witnessed the accident? per the post above. We know kids (all kids) like to run and not watch where they are going. I am always preaching to mine to STOP RUNNING AND NEVER RUN INTO THE STREETS!!! I have seen to many kids killed/injured due to being hit with a car. Not pretty.

• Are you NEGATIVE bloggers crazy?? Let me give you the FULL story that the papers aren't running. Destiny, God rest her soul, was NOWHERE near her mother when she bolted out into the street, infact, she was squatted down on the opposite side of the street as though she was urinating. There was an off-duty police officer who saw the entire unfortunate ACCIDENT. He witnessed it all. After Destiny stood up from the squatting position, she bolted out in front of Velma's car. Velma had NO TIME TO REACT or STOP to avoid hitting Destiny. When she got out of her vehicle, a large man was screaming "when I find out who did this, I'm going to KILL them!". Velma weighs no more than 110lbs and is less than 5'3 in height. WHAT WOULD YOU DO??????? Myself, being a large woman, I'd take off, go around the corner, call the cops and wait. She was in shock, petrified, afraid for her life and confused. Again, the papers are not giving the full story. She turned herself in the next day. SHE DID NOT TEACH THE NEXT DAY, NOR DOES SHE WEAR SEDUCTIVE CLOTHING WHILE SHE IS IN THE CLASSROOM. She is an EXCELLENT teacher, the kids adore her. The parents stand behind her. The police department and her lawyer handled everything in accordance with the law. BEFORE you talk, place blame or pass judgement, know your facts. Velma is a wonderful teacher, mother, wife and friend to everyone who crosses her path. She is torn up about the this accident. She is seeking professional help as she does not eat, sleep, or function. She is human, not a monster. What if this happened to your mother, your teacher, your wife/husband or your friend? Would you be passing the same judgement, I don't think so. Pray for Destiny's family and for Velma's family.

• Um, no offense, but why do people think that by coming on here and typing the way the above poster just did makes others take their comment seriously? I'm thinking this is a child, but seriously?! All it did was hurt my eyes! And if it was a child, yea that f bomb did nothing but make you look very ignorant. To the story. It is very sad and horrific. I would like to say I would have stayed and waited for the police. It was, as she said, and accident. I can understand the "fight orr flight" concept, but when you see a chld in need, wouldn't you think of your own child? How you would feel if you were in that position? I know I probably would. But, I am not naïve enough to think that I know what I would do. I would like to think I would stay. But I also know I would be afraid. Run or stay? My upbringing has taught me to stay, but my fear might cause me to run. So, I don't know exactly what I would do. However, I do know that if I ran, it would eat me alive. Would I wait a week? Probably not. A day? More than likely not. It makes me wonder, why wait a week? Like illusions and jadensmokes, it makes me think maybe she was drunk or on some sort of drug, whether legal or not. Some drugs, not sure which, can still be detected in hair folicles even years after you have done them (one of the many "blessings" of having a former drug addict for a dad, I have learned some interesting tidbits). I don't know. This whole story is just sad.

• WHY WHY WHY did velma buchala TEACH SCHOOL THEE NEXT DAY?????????????? as teachers at st jerome catholic school comment.....IMAGINE! did ANYone notice this "mugshot"? AFTER she appeared in court......with the "pig" of a husband mother~she ALSO works at st jerome CHURCH!!!!!!!!! velma had her HAIR HIGHLIGHTED!!!!!!!!1 TONS of makeup on........... does not look as she felt one bit guilty! she ALWAYS DRESSED SEDUCTIVELY~teaching jr high school boys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THAT SCHOOL has NO dress code for teachers & are VERY HARSH on the children~ NOT the teachers whom do WHATever they please~ my sisterss kid goes/went there......

• She did'nt even give the crowd time to act any kind of way towards her. So she has no excuse John. Well sure she has one but she is'nt sharing and I don't buy the one she did share.

• Unless she drank somewhere before the game or drank at the game, I doubt she is to blame. However, we will probably never know. And it will bother us greatly. She could be taking prescription drugs and shouldn't be driving. But we wouldn't know unless the D.A. found this out during the discovery process. As far as staying in your car that wouldn't necessarily protect you. Males aren't always rational and a side window would be no protection. Not being rational they might regret busting up their hand, but stuff like this happens. I've seen people bust their hand open punching block walls. No drugs were involved, just rage. Some people wanted to stir stuff up. They saw that and left.

• See that's just it John. You initially said Without rehearsal you had a much greater chance of flight? But why? Only if you are more guilty of something other than an accident. In this case she claims she feared retaliation from the childs family. I call BS! Like another poster said she could have sat in her car if she was truly so fearful (and there were others helping the child already). She fled for a reason and probably also waited a specific ammount of time to turn herself in I don't think it was all coincidental. Therefore I believe she is gonna get of a little to lightly. I know if the child ran out it was'nt all this ladies fault but ALL the things afterwards compile to make her stink!

• John, life is tough. Shit happens, and even when it is by accident, you still have to take responsibility for your part in the accident. She was obviously negligent, or the accident wouldn't have happened. This is why we must have insurance. This is why they test people in order to have the priveledge of driving. My point was that she ran from the scene, for this she needs to be held responsible. It is illegal to do that. I don't care if you are a cop's wife. I am glad her conscience got the best of her and she, in the end, did the right thing. I too wondered about DUI status as a reason for her leaving. You're right, no one knows what one will do when in certain circumstances. I can tell you I would not run. I would have done whatever I could have to help the child and her family. I would have stood and taken my punishment. It was the only right and humane thing to do once the "accident" happened.

• iLLusionS: I agree about the intoxicated part. I am always angered when a person flees. It makes me wonder about exactly that.

• John trust me I would'nt be human if I did'nt admit to not bieng able to tell you how I would react to ANY situation unless said situation had happened to me.Yet I know where I stand on certain things and how I was raised, so I can go as far as to say I would'nt run. PLUS KEY NOTE: How do we know if she was INTOXICATED on something DURING the accident? WE DON'T! Know why? Cause she fled the scene. Her husband coached her well. Probably even via cell phone.

• iLLusionS: I know what the run part of "Hit & Run" means. If I was 100% sure that my kids would not run in case of an accident, then I would not have given them a parental lecture. Running usually does make it worse, almost always. I've almost been hit twice by people much more culpable than this woman. The "ole" rolling stop through an intersection with a stop sign, but they don't see an car traffic and don't look for joggers.

• Thanks for that tidbit V. Makes me feel all the less sorry for her. Though I still am sure it was an accident, how you react afterwards makes all the difference and speaks volumes.

• R u people insane???? The guilt of knowing U accidently killed someone is pain she will carry the rest of her life. Go read the the bible!! God is the only one to judge. U can't possibly know what U would do till U walk in those shoe's. I pray none of U have to ever go through something like this but if U do.. remember how hurtful and quick to judge when wrote on this wall. God bless everyone!!!

• http://www.khou.com/home/Accused-Catholic-School-Teacher-On-Leave-From-Job-89558212.html full article

• I like how the author of the articale failed to mention that the teachers husband is a Houston Police Officer. Also that the attourney representing the teacher usaully defends police officers in most cases. My bet is that her husband is coaching her through this entire process....

• John That is kinda the whole reason the crime they charged her with was called HIT and RUN. Sure if I accidently hit a child I can't remote view and tell you exactly how I would react. What I can tell you is I would'nt run. Would I be scared shitless? YES! In fear for my future as well as that of the person I hit, sure. But running obviously only makes it worse.

• When my spouse was job hunting, one of parents was watching the kids. As it was I nice day they were sitting outside the convention center at a table. Beside it were parked cars and on the other side of them was traffic. All the sudden one my kids just darted toward the traffic. I don't know why. A a nearby stranger caught hold of my kid before they entered the traffic stream. My parent couldn't react fast enough. I ask Jadensmokes how can a person be responsible for an accident? As far as the running part, she can be held responsible. In that situation you can see your whole life fall apart. Fight or flight reflex kicks in. What would you do? You don't know. It is similar to combat; you don't know until you are there. People who say they are brave have fled. I don't know what I would do. I rehearse it in my mind the "what if" and tell my kids that if they are in an accident not run. It'll make it worse. I probably still have a 1 to 10% chance of leaving. Without rehearsal I think I would have a much greater chance of flight. I would be thinking murderous thoughts if it were my kid, but I can't really say that most people would not flee. I know better.

• Hyena YOU can see why she did what she did? You better thank god, (or whoever you speak to when you are afraid) that it was'nt your child. I also thank god YOU were'nt in a vehicke that killed MY child. Can you produce more than two stories where families killed someone who hit thier child on the spot??? If you can I'll eat my words.

• Another no account blogger with no personal skills, and the Idiot repondents who know nothing of what happened other than what the no account sensationalist media presented for you all to inhale! This was a horrible, and tragic incident and a little girl is dead. I cannot imagine.....My God...What do you think you all would do if the same had befallen you personally? How would you be judged? Panic, disbelief, rationalization, fear, and many other emotions only someone who has gone through it would know. May God be with the families effected by this terrible incident. Nuff Said!

• I can see why she did what she did. You hear stories all the time of kids getting hit by accident and the familes attacking the driver and killing them. She did at least call her lawyer and admit her involvement.... I would be pissed if it was my kid, BUT I can see her reasoning.

• if she was afraid of those around the child she could have just stayed insider her vehicle until the police got there-that's just irresponsible and cold.

• I agree people need to fess up to their actions and do the right thing. How can someone sleep at night knowing they hurt/killed someone. I could not sleep, eat, or do anything with continuing my daily lifestyle with that over my head.

• Accidents happen. No matter how horrific they are if it was NOT on purpose the best thing you can do is stay around to find out what you can do to help the person you hit. Especially if its a child. I am glad that somewhere her so-called concious got the best of her. So sad the little girl died.

• Disgusting. How can you hit someone - much less a CHILD, a baby girl, and just run away??? Regardless of whether its your fault or not, have enough moral fiber to stick around. At least she confessed (through her lawyer).. It took a week of me doing my own detective work to find the guy that hit my vehicle and took off... And the cops didn't even arrest him for hit and run. *eye roll* Civil suit pending ;) (Hey! I can at least get my deductible out of that sucker!)

• All she will get is probation - probably 10 years of it.

• another story about someone not taking responsibility for their actions. that is sad, and speaks about our society as a whole. on a side note, this is the school i attended while growing up in houston. this incident leaves me feeling cold and angry towards this woman. that was the place where i felt comfortable and safe as a kid. i would never had dreamt something as sad as this would have happened there. there goes the innocence and wide-eyed childhood memories that i held.

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