Bill Would Make Harsher Penalities For Deaths From Passing Stopped School Buses

Motorists in North Carolina could soon see tougher penalties for passing stopped school buses on the road and striking a passenger, who dies from the personal injuries he/she suffers after exiting the bus.

On May 26, a Senate judiciary committee approved a measure that would allow school districts to utilize cameras and recording devices for collecting evidence designed to prove that a driver broke the law by passing a stopped school bus.

In addition to the bill, the committee approved an amendment that would make motorists who strike a passenger who dies guilty of a felony. If the discharged passenger dies, the offender could now receive active jail time. The current law allows for community service as a punishment and doesn’t differentiate if the passenger dies.

The measure will now go to the Senate Appropriations Committee.