Fatal wreck in Lowndes County prompts Albany school bus safety reminder

ALBANY — After a recent collision in Lowndes County involving a school bus in which one student was killed and 13 others were injured, law enforcement officials are stressing that motorists must be cautious and alert when approaching a school bus.

“We want everybody to be mindful of buses,” Lt. William Dowdell, of the Albany Police Department, said Thursday. “Motorists traveling in both directions, following a bus and away from a bus, are required stop.”

On Monday, Rebecca Hall, 15, of Valdosta, was killed when her school bus collided with a tractor-trailer while traveling south on Interstate Highway 75, according to the Georgia State Patrol.

“The tractor-trailer collided with the rear driver’s side of the school bus,” GSP Cpl. Chris Kelch said. “Life-flight responded to the scene of the crash in an attempt to transport a critically injured child, but the child was unable to be stabilized for flight and was transported by ambulance to South Georgia Medical Center.”

Rebecca died from her her injuries at the Valdosta hospital, troopers said.

The Georgia State Patrol Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team is investigating the incident.

Although the wreck in Lowndes County occurred while the bus was in motion, the most dangerous time for buses is when they are stopped, according to officials. If a school bus is stopped in the roadway for loading or unloading with its lights flashing and stop sign deployed, drivers who are behind the bus or approaching the bus from the opposite direction are required by law to stop.

“There are only a couple of exemptions,” Dowdell said. “On divided roadways and divided highways, you are not required to stop. Those are the places where you have concrete medians or concrete barriers that separate the roadway and also the divided roads which are separated by grass medians. The other roads, like Dawson Road, Westover behind the mall area where you have the five lanes with the center divider, you are going to have to stop, because there is nothing separating you from the bus itself.”

The children boarding or exiting a bus are at risk when motorists do not stop, officials said.

“It is extremely important that you must stop,” Dowdell said. “You have small kids, pre-k, kindergarten, elementary and local high school all riding the bus. When they come out most of the time, the kids don’t really look to make sure it’s clear before they dart across traffic and we definitely don’t want anybody’s kids hit.

“There is a civil penalty, a monetary fine, points against your driver’s license and there is the emotional aspect of you having to deal with striking someone’s child whether they live or die.”

According to APD, there have been numerous violations in the first month of the school year.

“There have been violations reported already,” said Dowdell. “Just because you don’t get stopped right there at that moment does not mean that you are going to escape it. The buses know to write down tag numbers and notify us. If they have video, they will send us video and we are going to investigate it. If we get sufficient proof and identify that driver, you will be ticketed.”