(Decatur County, IN) – Two unidentified motorists are facing Reckless Driving charges in Decatur County for passing a school bus that had its red lights flashing and stop-arm extended.
Sheriff Bill Meyerrose says one of his deputies was following a school bus from North Decatur one afternoon last week in support of a stop-arm enforcement blitz funded by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI) when a vehicle was spotted passing the school bus at 40 mph
A second vehicle did the same thing, according to Meyerrose.
The deputy was able to stop both vehicles and issued a criminal summons for passing the school bus with an extended stop-arm, plus other violations.
Sheriff Meyerrose says he encourages deputies to charge violators with misdemeanors because children’s safety warrants higher charges in the case of a blatant disregard for stop arms.
He added his office was awarded the Stop-Arm Violation Enforcement (SAVE) grant from ICJI, which provides funds to step up enforcement against aggressive and dangerous driving around school buses and in school zones.
Last year, the Decatur County court system provided support to the Sheriff’s Office’s efforts by adopting an enhanced fine for speeding in school zones along State Road 3 when children are present.
This enhancement increased the fine for speeding in a school zone with children present up to $40, dependent on the vehicle’s speed.
Meyerrose and his deputies remind you to always drive safely, especially around critical areas where children are present.
