A video released by Dallas County Schools shows a car ignoring the flashing red stop lights and sideswiped 12-year-old Miles McFadden. He was bruised, but is now fine.
“I see this truck coming. I expect him to stop, but he doesn’t and everything just goes into a blur,” said Miles’ mother, Amy McFadden, who saw the video of the collision that night on television. “It’s just your heart drops into your feet and you just can barely breathe when you’re watching that.”
Now school districts across the country are releasing dramatic videos similar to the one from the McFadden case to highlight the dangers from drivers who fail to stop for school buses.
The day after Miles was hit, another truck struck a high school student getting off the bus. Luckily, this student also walked away just fine.
It is estimated that American drivers have illegally passed school buses more than 13 million times last year. On average, roughly eight kids a year are killed by drivers who ignore school bus stop signs.
The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) unveiled new technology that allows school crossing guards to add extra “walk” time on a crosswalk signal during peak periods. By using a newly engineered key on signal boxes, crossing guards can now add 10-15 seconds of extra “walk” time during morning and afternoon hours when students walk and bike to school. This increases safety and allows traffic to continue moving smoothly and efficiently throughout the day. UDOT’s Traffic Operations Center is the first in the nation to develop this technology. “This is a low cost, easy solution that will pay off with increased safety and better traffic flow for the area, which is UDOT’s ultimate goal,” said Cherissa Olson, program manager for UDOT School and Pedestrian Safety. “We want to make sure students are getting to and from school every day safe and sound.” Installing the key costs about $20 per crosswalk, plus 30 minutes of installation time for an electrician. “With all of the traffic in this area, something had to be done to help our students get to and from school safely,” said Cindy Jacobsen, crossing guard supervisor for West Jordan. “This new tool from UDOT gives us an easy solution that will make our jobs easier.”
Wisconsin deputies have arrested a school bus driver suspected of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol while he had a child on board. According to the county sheriff’s office, the 911 switchboard was inundated with calls reporting a bus was driving erratically during the morning commute. Witnesses claimed that the bus driver was speeding, weaving on the road, running yellow traffic lights and crossing the center line, nearly striking an oncoming vehicle. Deputies stopped the bus and the 25-year-old driver who failed a field sobriety tests. He was arrested, but denied using drugs or alcohol. He was taken to a hospital for a blood draw and booked into jail. The sheriff’s office said a 10-year-old boy was on the bus.
A school bus was evacuated after power lines fell on the vehicle in a county outside of Atlantic. Police reported that the power lines were dead, and all kids were taken off the bus as a precaution; however, at no time were the students in threat of danger. Georgia Power has started an investigation into the incident.
