A 15-year-old girl came close to getting hit by a truck that sped by a parked school bus in Bartow County, Georgia.
The girl had her head down while crossing the street when suddenly the school bus driver started blowing the horn, prompting the girl to look up, see the car approaching her at a fast speed, and dash out of the way.
Bartow County authorities released the video on Aug. 29, reported WUSA9.
Sharon Vaughan, the schoolgirl’s mother was very thankful to Shannon Banks, the bus driver, for alerting her daughter and preventing a tragedy.
“Thank you for being there and honking the horn and watching out for her,” said Vaughan.
“I gave her a hug, comforted her, told her I love her, told her the good Lord was watching over her,” she said, now she drives her to school in the mornings.
The sheriff said that Banks “saved that girl’s life in my opinion,” adding that “It would have been a serious, serious injury.”
Police arrested the reckless driver, Blake Lockwood, 42, on Thursday.
“I think he just didn’t care that morning,” Sharon Vaughan said. “He didn’t care about the bus sign being up or nothing. Didn’t care about the child.”
Banks recalled the incident, “I had just motioned her across, then I checked my back mirror again, and as soon as I saw that car, I honked the horn,” she said.
Here is our story from @11AliveNews at 5 p.m. on the teenage girl nearly being hit by a truck at a Bartow County bus stop. Today the driver was arrested and the bus driver was honored for honking her horn to alert/save the girl. https://t.co/63FjFrp2lg #11Alive pic.twitter.com/rA4f02laIK
— Joe Henke (@JoeHenke) August 29, 2019
Video Shows Child Nearly Getting Hit by Driver Who Did Not Stop for School Bus in Texas
In a similar incident, a mother from Texas shared a video that shows her daughter getting off a stopped school bus on the opposite side of the street as a car sped dangerously by on Aug. 28.
The mother screamed “No, wait, wait, wait! Stop!” as the blue Toyota rushed through.
According to KHOU, the mother was video recording because it was the first time her daughter rode the school bus.
The video recording captured the license plate of the car, of which some Facebook users took still images of and even found the information of the driver online.
“Unfortunately, when I called the police they said that they were unable to do anything,” Kirk-Taylor wrote on Facebook.
Texas law dictates that drivers have to stop when a school bus turns on their flashing red lights or extends its stop sign. If the bus is stopped, the cars on both lanes and directions have to make a complete stop, unless there is a raised barrier in between the lanes.
Passing a school bus that is stopped to load or unload students in a road with no barrier is illegal and the fine in Texas could go from $500 to $1,250 reported 13WMAZ.
The mother left a message on Facebook regarding the incident:
“So today was my daughters first day riding the school bus. As we waited for the bus to arrive to pick her up this morning on the sidewalk near our home, when the bus finally pulled up she got on and took off for school. But when she came home today as I was waiting with her siblings at the same spot she was picked up from, I had no idea that she would be dropped off on the opposite side of the street. Since it was her first day and all I wanted to record this special moment. Before letting her off the school bus the bus driver put up her stop signs and let my daughter off the bus,” wrote Kirk-Taylor.
Se continued:
“There was a careless driver speeding and also breaking the law not stopping at the school bus stop sign so that my daughter could cross the street. As my daughter was about to cross the street this blue Toyota almost ran her over. Unfortunately when I called the police they said that they were unable to do anything, I didn’t care if they had just giving him a speeding ticket I felt like something needed to be done. This careless driver did not even stop after seeing my child and myself scared for my child’s life. I was able to get the license plate number of this driver but like I said unfortunately the police cannot do anything. All I ask is that this video can be shared so that more of our community/ Houston community can protect our children at all times. I asked that we please follow the law especially when it comes to children at all times. I give Thanks to God Elohim for Protecting my Children at all times! Please people let’s be aware and Protect our Children.”
