Statement: Simone Argones

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Statement of Simone Marie Argones, taken June 4, 1999, at 3:00 pm in the Oberlin Police Station.

Miss Argones, you stated on the telephone that it was you who had hit Rebecca Ferris last night. Why didn't you contact us earlier?

Um, I didn't know I had hit her until today. I mean, I knew I hit something last night, but I . . . oh, God. I heard about it that she got killed last night on the news this morning, but I didn't hear where it had happened, so it didn't occur to me that I had been the one who killed her, not til later. Then some of my friends at school were talking about the accident, and I hear it was on Sarrett Road, and then I knew. It was awful; I couldn't think what to do, I was so horrified. I know I failed my history final. I mean, eventually I figured out that I had to call the police, but I couldn't do that until I got home this afternoon since nobody can get a hall pass anymore. It's not like I could tell anybody at school; I mean, I guess I could have, but it was all so unreal. I was so afraid I'd just start crying or something, I was so upset.

All right, we just need you to tell us, as calmly as you can, exactly how this incident occurred.

Okay. Um, I was driving home from a commencement band rehearsal at my school. It was supposed to go to eight thirty but Mr. Sanders let us out, like, forty-five minutes early. I live just outside Newtown, and the school is way out on Coriander Road, so I was taking Sarrett home. The glare was just awful because the sun was so low, and I couldn't see anything hardly at all. I thought I saw a little movement off to the side of the road, but I thought it was a dog or something. I guess I panicked, because I slammed on the brakes and swerved and kind of wound up crooked across the road. I swear I didn't think I'd hit whatever it was-I mean, I thought I would have felt it, but my car was jerking around so much maybe I hit her and never noticed. I've been thinking about that all day, that I just drove away and left her there, dying, and never even knew it. But all I saw was this trash can just sitting there, and no dog or anything, so I took a breath and drove on home. I was so relieved that I hadn't killed somebody's pet; I never even thought, then, that it could have been a person.

Can you describe the location of this accident any more precisely?

It was just like I said, just Sarrett Road, before the turnoff to MainStreet. There weren't any houses around except for this one kind of setback from the road. I guess the trash can belonged to them. Was that the Ferris house? I wasn't exactly taking notes; I didn't think anything had happened besides me giving myself a stupid scare.

Hmm. Miss Argones, are you aware that your car's right front headlight is broken?

I know, I noticed this morning. It was what got me really worried after hearing where she died and all. I mean, the glass was cracked before yesterday and I was going to get it replaced anyway, so I kept trying to convince myself that anything could have knocked it out, but I think I must have hit her. Why else would the glass have fallen out like that?