CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. — Efforts are being made to protect students at bus stops in Cabarrus County.
Deputies said that in just a week, they cited eight people for passing a stopped school bus and one person for DWI.
Channel 9’s Hannah Goetz met Senior Deputy Tyler Morrison, who talked about the importance of his job. While they spoke, there was a car going 51 mph in a 35 mph school zone.
Deputy Morrison was part of Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office’s ‘Operation Bus Watch’ at the start of the school year. Deputy William Waters organized the operation.
“I’ve got children of my own, so if my kids aren’t safe, I’m not comfortable sending them,” said Deputy Waters. “How’s the community going to be comfortable with that?”
Deputies are rotating between bus stops in the county, placing Deputy Morrison at the busy intersection of Cox Mill Road and Pacing Lane near Cox Mill Elementary and High schools.
“It is extremely dangerous when we are putting kids out here. Then we have cars flying through the neighborhoods,” said Alvarys Santana, a mother.
When Santana was waiting for her kids to get off the bus, a Cabarrus County school bus slowed down, put on its flashing lights and stop arm at a cross walk. As small children were getting off, a car illegally passed the bus and Deputy Morrison.
Channel 9 asked Santana what she thought about the car that passed the bus she thought her kids were on.
“I don’t know if you can literally see the hairs sticking out of my arm,” she said. “What he just did could have hurt a child, hurt a parent. And again, the fact that we had a sheriff here to make sure they protect us and don’t do it again and it’s concerning because someone could have really been hurt.”
The driver who passed the bus was given a citation. Deputies said cars passing stopped buses is something they have to take action on.
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