THE CROSSING

Vaughan a finalist for 'The Crossing' series

April 8, 2008

By Sara Burnett
Rocky Mountain News

Rocky Mountain News reporter Kevin Vaughan was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in feature writing Monday, for his 34-part series recounting the 1961 bus crash that killed 20 children near Greeley.

Vaughan, 44, said he was "excited and humbled" by the honor, considered journalism's highest prize.

"I'll always be grateful to the families who lived through the tragedy of Dec. 14, 1961, and shared their story with our readers," he said.

The Denver Post also was named a finalist for investigative reporting, for its series on the destruction of evidence in criminal cases.

"The Crossing" told the stories of those who died and the 17 survivors after a train slammed into a school bus. It also explored the impact that single moment had on hundreds of lives, even 45 years later.

As the narrative unfolded in early 2007, Vaughan heard from more than 1,000 readers. In August, a memorial was erected near the crash site, using money raised by family members of some of the victims.

The Washington Post won the feature writing Pulitzer. The other finalist was from the Los Angeles Times. In investigative reporting, the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune won.

Vaughan has worked for the Rocky for 10 years. He collaborated on The Crossing with Rocky photographer Chris Schneider.

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