Bill targets illegal school bus passing

INDIANAPOLIS — Rep. Suzanne Crouch has introduced legislation that would create harsher penalties for motorists who run school bus stop signs.

The current penalty for running a school bus stop sign is a maximum of 180 days imprisonment or a $1,000 fine. Under the proposed law, drivers who pass a stopped school bus and cause bodily injury to a person could be convicted of a Class A misdemeanor and sentenced to one year in jail, or receive a $5,000 fine.

If a person sustains substantial injuries, the motorist would be charged with a Class D felony and be sentenced to up to three years in jail, or receive a $10,000 fine. The bill also stipulates that the court would be required to recommend suspending the motorist’s driving privileges for at least 90 days.

Crouch drafted the legislation after Casey Groves, an elementary school student from Warrick County, was struck by a car as she exited a school bus last fall.