SALISBURY TWP., Pa. — Video shows a car speed past a stopped school bus, nearly hitting the students crossing the street. Police say it happens far too often in our area.
This scene happened in Salisbury Township after school on October 6. Two students got off the bus at Seidersville Road. One student with headphones looks down at her cell phone, unaware of the traffic headed her way. Luckily, the students pause at the double line, because an SUV comes through the school bus zone without even slowing down.
“When you see a close one, it’s bad enough. But when you see something flagrant like that, when there’s kids standing in the middle of the road and you don’t even have the courtesy to slow down or stop, that’s a different level,” said Sgt. Bryan Losagio of the Salisbury Township Police Department.
Police say Salisbury Township cameras capture zoned out drivers on a weekly basis.
Despite efforts, law enforcement liaison David Gold told 69 News in August the number of violations and student injuries has not decreased. Most accidents happen within 10 feet of the school bus.
“The number of students that get struck, injured or killed is increasing the more traffic we have,” Gold said.
Losagio says there are about 40 million bus violations every year in the U.S.
In Salisbury Township, there have been 60 egregious violations issued since the beginning of the school year.
The police department has been posting videos of the offenders on social media hoping to deter others from ignoring the stop sign and red lights.
“You don’t want to kill a kid. That’s what it really comes down to. Safety is important. Following the rules is important, but at the end of the day, do you want to kill a kid because you don’t want to wait 5 extra seconds at a bus stop? To me that’s just crazy,” Losagio said.
A fine for failing to stop for a school bus is $300 if you’re caught on camera and the ticket’s mailed to you.
If you’re stopped by a police officer, it’s more than $458 when you factor in surcharges.