The terrifying frequency of school bus stop arm violations

GOSHEN, Ind.-- According to the Goshen Community Schools Director of Transportation, Don Graves, stop arm violations are far more common than most would expect or like.

"We have reports about every day of stop arm violations," Graves said.

Nearly every day, Graves says, fueling his frustration.

"We're a big rolling billboard. It's a school bus. We are not difficult to see," he said.

Goshen police responded to an incident Tuesday morning, where a car rolled by a stopped school bus in the Brookside Manor neighborhood.

"We had a group of students that were already on the bus, and another group that were making their way over when the car rolled through," Graves said.

It was too close for comfort and what is said to be a typically calm community.

"It is pretty alarming, it's definitely an area where there's lot of children," said Brookside Manor resident Ian Long. "We're right next to a playground, as you can see over here. I just that it's pretty unacceptable, I feel like people need to be aware of what's going on, it could've been somebody's, it could've been their child that they possibly could have put at risk."

"It reminds me of when those three kids were killed," said Goshen resident Paula Maddux.

In October 2018, three children Mason, Alivia, and Xzavier were killed in Fulton County. Just trying to get on the bus for school. Their mother is now an advocate for school bus safety.

And on March 18 of this year, ABC57 obtained video of the moment children were nearly struck by a car in Osceola as they were walking to their school bus.

"Every time I go past a school bus that stops, I'm like, 'Is everybody going to stop?'" Maddux said.

"It's time and time again, and you'd think people would start to learn the lights are on, just please stop," Graves said.

Goshen police identified the driver from Tuesday's incident, pulling her over for a traffic in fraction Near Chicago Avenue and Wilkinson Street in Goshen.

The 25-year-old woman was cited for reckless driving pending a court date.

For Graves, it's frustrating to think children are in danger getting on the bus every day mostly because of distracted driving

"Put your phones down, put your food down, put down whatever you're doing and just pay attention to driving. Because children's lives are at stake here," he said.

Indiana schools submit stop arm violation data to the state, Graves said. It's ironic he said that the deadline to submit that data was Tuesday.

According to the Indiana criminal justice Institute, there are about 108 stop arm violation fatalities every year. In 2023, police issued more than 3000 stop arm violation citations.