INDIANAPOLIS — A former bus driver for the MSD of Washington Township said he was fed up with stop-arm violations and quit.
Todd Hanson, a school bus driver with the district for 12 years, quit after a March 24 incident. Three kids were within inches of being plowed by a driver ignoring the bus stop arm.
"I'm yelling 'Stop, stop!'" Hanson said. "When you can't stop for a school bus, that's despicable."
New: Ex-School bus driver fed up with reckless drivers ignoring stop arms outside River Bend apartments in Indy. In this incident, 3 kids were almost hit by a vehicle on March 24th. MSD Washington says it’s adding new cameras to all its buses this summer @wrtv pic.twitter.com/SrjMbv6YVV
— Rafael Sánchez (@RafaelOnTV) April 21, 2022
Before working with the MSD of Washington Township, he worked with kids for years at Indianapolis Public Schools where he earned a number of employee awards.
He said he had to quit in order to try to get public support to help and change to get children safely off at bus stops.
"These kids need to be safe. Please, please help them and help these other bus drivers," he said.
Since April 13, 2021, he sent multiple emails asking his supervisors to crackdown on these bus violations. While his messages were answered, he felt his concerns didn't lead to results.
WRTV sat down with the district's director of transportation and police chief. They said they have been working on the problem.
The district looked at moving the bus stop but the option wasn't better or safer.
"Kids are getting on and off the bus, and have to do safely," Brent England, the district's transportation director, said. "Don't go around the bus."
The school's police chief, Roosevelt Lindsey, said patrols were sent to River Bend apartments and the video was shared with IMPD.
"It's a nationwide issue," Lindsey said. "We all need to slow down a little bit and think about others."
That's what parents at the apartments want. They told WRTV in Spanish they're fed up with the reckless drivers.
"They don't think the kids are important. That's irresponsible," Laura Daniel said.
"We work but can't leave the kids alone to board the bus," Amanda Vega said. "We don't trust the people in the vehicle."
They said their kids miss their former bus driver.
The district will install new cameras over the summer. The buses will go from about three to seven cameras.
Cameras will be added to the bus stop arms to get better pictures of license plates.
A ticket for running a school bus stop arm could cost between $125 and $250.
-
An app will soon connect IMPD officers to mental health resources
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's recently approved $338 million budget includes funding for mental health resources for officers and other staff.1984: Roadside motel billed as ‘cat shelter of the future’
Hans and Lucille Fried gained attention for their commitment to cats when they sold their home to pay for a roadside motel that would become Fried’s Cat Shelter.DPW prepares to convert 29th and 30th Streets into two-way roads
DPW will soon convert both streets into two-lane, two-way roads between Meridian Street and the White River. The transformation will begin after Citizens Gas removes lead pipes beneath the roads.Fishers considering changing noise ordinance following a complaint over brewery
King Jugg Brewery began having live music at their establishment about a year ago. Since then, residents near the facility have been concerned about the noise.