Nueces County Sheriff’s patrol intensifies traffic enforcement in Calallen, targeting drivers ignoring school bus signals, a serious safety concern for children.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nueces County Sheriff’s deputies are cracking down on traffic violations in a Calallen neighborhood, but they say the biggest problem is drivers ignoring school bus signals.
One car after another, deputies are pulling drivers over in this South Calallen neighborhood, but the main issue, Nueces County Sheriff’s Patrol Operations Captain Roland Martinez Jr. said, is drivers not stopping for school buses.
“The school bus stop signs come out, and they’re experiencing people driving around them, ignoring them and not stopping like they’re supposed to, like the law requires them to,” Martinez said.
A neighbor shared this video of a typical morning routine, where a parent is helping her child onto the bus and a truck passes by.
Calallen ISD Chief of Police Beryl Smith said it’s an ongoing issue in several parts of the area.
“I have personally seen people coming to the front of the bus, and they’re stopping right before the bus. They’re not giving that distance, because there are kids who are going to exit and cross in front of them,” Smith said.
In recent weeks, Martinez has dispatched officers to the area when kids are heading to and from school.
“In that time span, we did catch one person disregarding the traffic control devices that come off the school buses, and in that short two-week span, we issued a citation. But ever since then, I talked to leadership in that area and the HOA, and they said it has decreased — they’re not seeing that anymore. And we have been out there in the mornings during pickup and drop-off times and in the afternoon,” Martinez said.
Calallen ISD Transportation Coordinator Corey Charles said the warning lights and signs on buses are visible to drivers from all directions.
“So our buses are loaded with amber warning lights and red warning lights. Our amber lights warn drivers that we are about to stop — that’s at 200 feet. By the time we reach that distance, we stop the bus, and as soon as we open our doors, the red lights and stop signs are activated,” Charles said.
Martinez said fines can range from $500 to $1,250.
Officers will continue to monitor the area.
“Anything pertaining to children and their safety, we’re going to pay close attention to it, and we’re going to enforce the law to make sure people get the message. Really, just help us do that — obey traffic laws, stop behind school buses, stop behind the stop signs,” Martinez said.