Amber Peery Conviction Upheld; Lawsuit Remains Active After Girl Scout Crash
TOPEKA, Kan. (Feb. 28, 2026) — An appeals court upheld the conviction of Amber Peery, whose van crashed in October 2022, resulting in the deaths of three Girl Scouts.
According to the Kansas Court of Appeals, Peery was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and other charges related to the accident on the Kansas Turnpike near Auburn. The court issued a 34-page ruling affirming her conviction on February 6.
Peery, 32 at the time of the crash, attempted an illegal U-turn, leading to a collision with a semi-trailer truck driven by Robert Russell. The accident killed 9-year-olds Laila El Azri Ennassari and Kylie Lunn, along with Peery's 8-year-old daughter, Brooklyn. Two other passengers in Peery's vehicle sustained injuries.
Authorities stated Peery received a sentence of five years and four months in prison and is currently incarcerated at the Topeka Correctional Facility.
In addition, parents of the victims are pursuing a civil lawsuit, with recent settlements reducing the number of remaining defendants to four: the Kansas Turnpike Authority, Western Flyer Express LLC, R.W. Timms Leasing LLC, and the estate of Robert Russell. A Shawnee County District Court judge indicated he would likely approve settlements made with other defendants, including Adient US LLC and Magna Seating Inc.
A pretrial conference for the ongoing lawsuit is scheduled for no earlier than November 29, 2026.
For further inquiries, contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.