Indiana Toughens School Bus Laws; Illinois Could Follow Suit
CHICAGO (CBS)--Drivers in Indiana will face tougher penalties under a new school bus law going into effect soon.
Starting July 1, drivers will face a 90-day license suspension if they're caught passing a school bus that has its stop-arm extended.
The soon-to-be law also increases the penalty for repeat offenders.
Indiana State Police say school bus drivers across the state reported more than 2,500 violations in a single day in April.
The law was spurred, in part, by a deadly accident last October that claimed the lives of three children in Fulton County.
The driver who hit the kids told police she didn't realize she had been approaching a stopped school bus.
Alyssa Shepherd, 24, of Rochester, was charged with three counts of reckless homicide. Authorities say Shepherd was driving a pickup truck on Oct. 30 when she struck four children crossing a highway to board a school bus.
Six-year-old twin brothers Xzavier and Mason Ingle, and their 9-year-old sister, Alivia Stahl, were killed. An 11-year-old boy was severely injured in the crash.
In Illinois, a similar measure is in the works that would toughen laws penalizing drivers who disobey school bus laws.
The legislation passed the Senate last week.
It doubles the fine for passing a bus from the existing $150 to $300. Second-time offenders would pay $1,000 instead of $500.
That bill will next go to Governor J.B. Pritzker's desk for consideration.
