News 12 viewer images of unsafe school bus driving in Newburgh renew safety concerns
A dashcam video captured one of the incidents. A school bus is seemingly seen running a red light and almost getting hit by another bus last Tuesday at the intersection of William and S. William Streets.
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Exclusive News 12 viewer images are renewing community concerns about school bus safety after two bus drivers in Newburgh were allegedly caught running red lights in back-to-back incidents last week.
A dashcam video captured one of the incidents. A school bus is seemingly seen running a red light and almost getting hit by another bus last Tuesday at the intersection of William and S. William Streets. The driver who provided the video said he “couldn’t believe” what he was seeing.
That disbelief is shared by Alec Slatky, with AAA.
“It’s really alarming that we continue to see these incidents of people behaving totally recklessly,” says Slatky, the AAA managing director of public and government affairs.
News 12 reported a school bus crash last Friday on Broadway in Newburgh. The aftermath was photographed by several motorists and given to News 12.
Police say in that incident, the West Point Tours Bus driver involved was ticketed for speeding, running a red light and causing the crash. Authorities say four kids suffered minor injuries. A representative for the bus company says the driver tested negative for drugs and alcohol but was put on leave.
The Newburgh Enlarged City School District says they contract with several companies for busing.
“Questions related to employee discipline should be directed to those vendors specifically, however, the district does monitor driver infractions and will disqualify drivers under certain circumstances,” says Communications Specialist Cassie Skarlz. “The district depends on contracted providers for student transportation to ensure compliance with state regulations governing school bus drivers, as well as local laws designed to enhance safety for passengers and drivers. This collaboration is essential for maintaining a high standard of safety and reliability in transporting students.”
It’s not clear from the dashcam video what bus company was involved in Tuesday’s incident and the district has not said if the driver remains on duty.
“There really is no excuse for behaving in a way that puts kids at risk and if it’s your job to get kids from point A to point B, you have to be held to the highest standards,” says Slatky.
Slatky says AAA data shows an “alarming increase” in aggressive driving, including motorists running red lights, tailgating and passing unsafely.
News 12 has reported several other instances of school buses being operated unsafely in other Hudson Valley communities including incidents in which operators were ticketed for striking children, seen on video running red lights and driving head-on into traffic.
