Law enforcement, school officials: Follow bus-stop crossing law
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Representatives for schools and law enforcement stressed the importance of drivers watching for stopped buses after a Columbia Public Schools student was injured Wednesday when he was hit by a car on the way to a school bus.
The 10-year-old New Haven Elementary School student suffered only minor injuries, according to the Boone County Sheriff's Office. Deputies arrested a woman on suspicion of ignoring the stopped sign on the school bus.
The Columbia Police Department reminds drivers that all buses used to take children to public schools in Columbia are painted bright yellow. Yellow lights will flash when the school bus slows down to pick up or drop off students. Red lights will flash and a stop sign will appear once the bus comes to a full stop.
"As more students return to in-person learning and an increasing number of buses are on the road, it is important to remember that when a bus has its flashing red lights on and stop arm extended, it is either unloading or loading students," said Jen Holzapfel, a spokeswoman for Student Transportation of America.
The incident took place outside city limits, but Columbia has its own ordinance in addition to state laws that apply outside city limits.
City ordinance 14-168 says drivers of other vehicles "shall stop the vehicle before reaching the school bus and shall not proceed until such school bus resumes motion or until signaled by its driver to proceed."
The ordinance says drivers must stop on a two-lane road where the vehicles travel in either direction or on a two-lane road that is a one-way street. Drivers do not need to stop when traveling the opposite direction of a school bus on a highway divided by a median.
Holzapfel said the law requires drivers in both directions to stop at least 25 feet from the bus while it is stopped with red flashing lights and the stop arm extended.
All buses over 10,000 pounds are equipped with a front-mounted crossing control arm that extends at least 5.5 feet from the right side of the front bumper.
Cpl. Kyle Green, a spokesman with the Missouri State Hihgway Patrol's Troop F, said the purpose of this arm is to prevent passengers from crossing directly in front of the bus in the bus driver's blind spot. New buses also have redesigned doors and handrails to prevent drawstrings and other clothing accessories from getting caught.
"It is important to remind our community that the law requires them to stop," CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark said. "Running the stop which results in the injury of a child is a felony offense."
Missouri Statute 304.070 states that any person who violates the bus-stop law is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor of have their driver's license suspended. A driver's license can be suspended for 90 days on the first offense and 120 days for a second or subsequent offense.
Green said if a child is injured the offense becomes a Class E felony. If the incident results in he death of any child, the driver can be guilty of a Class D felony.
