PEOPLE, PLEASE STOP FOR SCHOOL BUSES!!!!

[Rookie]

One thing doesnt make sense in the fb post. She was allegedly rushing to see her father who was undergoing emergency surgery, but once let loose by the police she goes to work instead of to see her father. Im not sure on this one but i guess its possible

My assumption is that between the time of the accident and 3:00, she probably got word that her dad was okay. That's the only way it would make sense to me.

 

[Trigger Time]

Call an uber if you cant drive. Whether you're drunk or you have a medical emergency or a family emergency. Or hand the keys to someone else. It's called being an adult.
I grew up in a farming community. I drove to school as a teen early in the morning while it was still dark, fog from across the fields over the roads so thick you couldnt see sometimes a car length ahead
I came across school buses and before they had super bright LED lights like today's buses mostly do.
I never hit any kids or passed a bus. There were also lots of farm equipment always on the roads and I never hit any of them either.
Because I was being a responsible motorist. Same as a lot of us are today. Everyone always has an excuse as to why they ****ed up
It's always someone or something elses fault and they never take ownership of it. I'm sure she had a great life and great kids and great husband and loved long walks in the park. So did those kids and their family and now they will never have that again because she was reckless. Only a monster would want to do something like this, and I do not think she is a monster but her actions caused a tragedy and she needs to stop playing the victim. People are in pain, they say things they shouldnt but let's not forget why

 

[MrsGungho]

One thing doesnt make sense in the fb post. She was allegedly rushing to see her father who was undergoing emergency surgery, but once let loose by the police she goes to work instead of to see her father. Im not sure on this one but i guess its possible

I don't know that this was truth, her father having a heart attack. The only place I have seen that was in that one post. No news outlet has covered that aspect.
Going to work, was going to church. I can only speculate that she wasn't working, but praying.

Thank you bigtanker for posting that. I have said from my first post, she is not a monster. That post shows what type of person she is. It still DOES NOT excuse what happened, but it shows more of the person she really is. She is the director of youth ministry. she is all of the things this person posted about her. She is receiving death threats from "courageous" people through social media.

I feel to close to this, I know things that my daughter has shared, that her husband knows being a volunteer firefighter for that small community.
I respectfully bow out of this thread, I can't defend her, there is no defense, but I don't feel the need to threaten, to wish death, to wish harm to her.

 

[churchmouse]

I don't know that this was truth, her father having a heart attack. The only place I have seen that was in that one post. No news outlet has covered that aspect.
Going to work, was going to church. I can only speculate that she wasn't working, but praying.

Thank you bigtanker for posting that. I have said from my first post, she is not a monster. That post shows what type of person she is. It still DOES NOT excuse what happened, but it shows more of the person she really is. She is the director of youth ministry. she is all of the things this person posted about her. She is receiving death threats from "courageous" people through social media.

I feel to close to this, I know things that my daughter has shared, that her husband knows being a volunteer firefighter for that small community.
I respectfully bow out of this thread, I can't defend her, there is no defense, but I don't feel the need to threaten, to wish death, to wish harm to her.

I have not seen the deep threat angle in here. If I do it will be deleted. We all have emotions and hearts. But in this we also need to re,main civil. At least in here. Save that crap for FB with all the other loony's and crap talking keyboard commando's.

Thanks you for sharing your insight into this Mrs. G as it does put another layer of understanding.

 

[femurphy77]

I don't know that this was truth, her father having a heart attack. The only place I have seen that was in that one post. No news outlet has covered that aspect.
Going to work, was going to church. I can only speculate that she wasn't working, but praying.

Thank you bigtanker for posting that. I have said from my first post, she is not a monster. That post shows what type of person she is. It still DOES NOT excuse what happened, but it shows more of the person she really is. She is the director of youth ministry. she is all of the things this person posted about her. She is receiving death threats from "courageous" people through social media.

I feel to close to this, I know things that my daughter has shared, that her husband knows being a volunteer firefighter for that small community.
I respectfully bow out of this thread, I can't defend her, there is no defense, but I don't feel the need to threaten, to wish death, to wish harm to her.

Definitely way too much Monday morning quarterbacking going on here. How many of us have done something stupid in retrospect? I find confusing a tractor with a school bus a little difficult but I wasn't there, I wasn't sitting in the drivers seat and I didn't hear that sickening thud when those kids hit the front of the truck. We read SJW threads and talk about stupid twitter posts and all judge them from our high thrones and then turn and do the same thing when it's a topic we care about.

Pretty disgusting all around.

 

[BobDaniels]

This is going around FB. Not sure how much truth there is to it.



She apparently thought it was a farm tractor. As much as I drive and see these on the road, I could kinda see how the bus could be mistaken for a tractor. Especially in the state of mind she would have been in with her dad having a heart attack......if that's true.

It's tragic regardless. 2 families destroyed. I just hope her punishment is less than some 3 time DUI scumbag that kills someone while committing thier 4th DUI.

Per this article, the above is not completely true.

https://www.wthr.com/article/court-...id-not-realize-it-was-school-bus-hitting-kids

 

[Dead Duck]

This is where I disagree with having the 8-light system, 4 amber and 4 red, the amber are to provide warning that a stop is coming up, and it is legal to pass with the amber lights on. Hurry up and go around, half way around the bus and the stop arm deploys- slam on the brakes or run it like a stop light. I've also seen buses sit for 5 minutes with the amber lights flashing and at a complete stop, waiting on a student. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

And to that point-
Can somebody please tell me the actual law/rule for proper school bus etiquette? Both for the school bus driver and the cars around the bus.

Usually I see buses turn on the AMBER flashers as they're slowing down, then they stop and eventually they turn on the RED flashers and the stop sign comes out.

Before they leave I've seen 2 things happen -
- Stop sign goes in and the RED flashers turn off and they start moving -
OR -
- Stop sign goes in and the RED flashers turn off but the AMBER flashers come back on and then they start moving.

So when you come around a corner and there's a bus stopped with the AMBER flashers, to me, he is about to change to RED flashers OR he is about to move and drive on.

Either way - AMBER FLASHERS = CAUTION, Slow but doesn't mean stop.
Are we suppose to stop when we see ambers and the reds? Are the drivers misusing the ambers?




I bring this up because there was a bus on my street a few years back that was stopped when I came up to it with only the ambers flashing and no other cars around at all, I was coming at her head on (but on the other side) so I slowed and cautiously past her and the second we were drivers window to drivers window, she hit the flashing reds, pulled the stop sign out, honked and screamed at me out her window all simultaneously.

So please - How are the bus drivers suppose to use the amber lights and how are we suppose to react to them when we don't know if they have just stopped or they are about to go.

And yes I have also witnessed buses with the ambers flashing while stopped for at least 5 minutes at a time while she was apparently waiting for something and reading the paper and people were passing slowly around her.

 

[JettaKnight]

One would hope school bus drivers aren't expecting drivers to slam on the the brakes in an unsafe manner the exact moment the red goes on.

 

[Sigblitz]

Per this article, the above is not completely true.

https://www.wthr.com/article/court-...id-not-realize-it-was-school-bus-hitting-kids

LLP

I'm reading here the bus driver sees the approaching vehicle and waves the kids across the path of the approaching vehicle. I would prefer bus drivers wave the kids across after traffic has stopped.

 

[singlesix]

What if anything can we change so this doesn't happen again?

 

[Dead Duck]

What if anything can we change so this doesn't happen again?

Homeschooling

 

[Sigblitz]

What if anything can we change so this doesn't happen again?

Walk your kids to the bus stop in case they are urged to cross before traffic has stopped.

 

[Sigblitz]

I think it was the perfect storm. 3 people could have prevented it. One was absent and two contributed.

 

[eldirector]

What if anything can we change so this doesn't happen again?

Lots of things

- Change routes so kids never cross streets or in front of the bus. Always pick up on passenger side
- Don't wave kids out into the street while there are ANY moving vehicles
- Have buses come to a complete stop before turning on the flashers (we have had one bus that drives between stops, passed stopped cars, with the red lights on)
- Have buses pull into the center of the road, effectively blocking traffic, when making a stop
- Adjust school schedules so kids are not picked up or dropped off when it is likely to be pitch black outside.
- Wait at the bus stop with your kids
- Teach them to look both ways before crossing the street. Always. No exceptions.
- Take your kids to school yourself
- Report bad behavior. Bus drivers - call the school. Kids - call the school, or talk to the parents (if you know them). Drivers - call local LE.
- If LE gets calls about a particular area, it might be a good place to patrol a bit.
- if schools get a call about a particular area, look at changing the route or policy.
- If you, as a parent, get a call about your kid(s), talk some sense into them before they get run over.
- For you, as a driver: slow the eff down and pay some attention. I get it. We are all in a hurry, and all have something else on our minds. But, if you run someone over, that is totally on you.

 

[Alpo]

End Daylight saving time in August. Or eliminate it completely. Stupid idea.

 

[IndyTom]

What if anything can we change so this doesn't happen again?

After three years of requests, three fatalities and an injury, they're moving the bus stop off of the highway.

 

[Vigilant]

Now that said how in the name of any Holy Deity you may worship can you miss a ****ing school bus. How. That is what twists me up here.

The same way they always seem to miss those really bright red and blue flashing LEDs attached to that official car on the side of the road doing official stuff to the occupant of the car right to their front. It’s called head up ass!

 

[Hoosierdood]

Thanks Bigtanker, we shouldn't be so quick to judge this young women.

Theres a difference between judging someone and facing the facts. I don't want her dragged in the streets and lynched. She doesn't deserve death threats. It was an accident.

But the bottom line is that for whatever reason, she wasn't paying attention, and that caused the death of 3 precious kids, and ripped a family apart. Justice demands that she pay for her actions. If she was not in her right mind because of some bad news, she shouldn't have been driving. If she can't tell the difference between a TRACTOR and a SCHOOL BUS, she shouldn't be driving. (Hypothetically) - If someone has had a few beers and is even the slightest bit impaired, they shouldn't be driving. People need to understand the consequences of their actions, and be responsible. Irresponsibility can destroy your life or the lives of others, and that is a heavy cross to bear.

My wife and kids are on the road often, and I see distracted drivers all the time. It scares the s*** out of me.

 

[Ballstater98]

I'm not buying this for one second.

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/state-and-regional/indiana/police-indiana-bus-stop-crash-driver-didn-t-recognize-bus/article_682d99bd-4d96-5bf3-8031-5c6436673de2.html?utm_content=buffer98339&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=LEEDCC#tracking-source=home-the-latest

 

[actaeon277]

Theres a difference between judging someone and facing the facts. I don't want her dragged in the streets and lynched. She doesn't deserve death threats. It was an accident.

But the bottom line is that for whatever reason, she wasn't paying attention, and that caused the death of 3 precious kids, and ripped a family apart. Justice demands that she pay for her actions. If she was not in her right mind because of some bad news, she shouldn't have been driving. If she can't tell the difference between a TRACTOR and a SCHOOL BUS, she shouldn't be driving. (Hypothetically) - If someone has had a few beers and is even the slightest bit impaired, they shouldn't be driving. People need to understand the consequences of their actions, and be responsible. Irresponsibility can destroy your life or the lives of others, and that is a heavy cross to bear.

My wife and kids are on the road often, and I see distracted drivers all the time. It scares the s*** out of me.

I couldn't rep you.