It was a split-second decision on the part of a driver that could have cost multiple young lives. A driver ignored a school bus stop arm which was activated, racing by just as elementary school students were about to cross the street, at a school bus stop. It was a tragedy averted by a quick-thinking school bus driver, Joey Skelton, who saw the car coming and immediately signaled to the students they had to stop.
Cari Minnesota, a grandmother who witnessed the entire incident with her grandchild as they were about to cross the street spoke to the media with an emotional message on Friday. Ms. Minnesota was joined by Stacy Johnson, a parent, whose child was there at the time of the incident. Both women say the bus driver saved lives that day and students who were taught to follow the rules helped to keep themselves safe as well. Some of the students at the bus stop that day gave Joey Skelton a card thanking him for looking out for students, life savers for saving their lives, and some fun school bus driver socks.
Jordan School District Director of Transportation, Paul Bergera, also spoke to reporters telling them that each year there are more than 100,000 school bus stop arm violations in the State of Utah. Everyone who spoke said they worry that if more isn’t done to stop the stop arm violations, lives will be lost.
Thank you to our community partners who were there to support safety around school buses:
- Local Law Enforcement
- Zero Fatalities
- UDOT
- Utah Association of Pupil Transportation