BROOKINGS Driving is a responsibility that should be taken seriously in all weather and traffic conditions. Judging from recent incidents involving a fire truck and school buses, however, not all drivers are doing so.
Case in point: The Brookings Fire Department came within a hairs breadth of tragedy on Wednesday after one of its trucks was struck in a crossover by a tractor/trailer on Interstate 29 north of Brookings near mile marker 140. The truck had two firefighters in it, and was responding to a single-vehicle accident near mile marker 138.
Today was almost the worse day a fire chief can have, Brookings Fire Chief Pete Bolzer wrote in a post on the departments Facebook page on Wednesday. Hearing radio traffic that an apparatus had just been struck and not being able to respond due to providing patient care in the ditch south of their location. The feeling of helplessness was indescribable.
In a subsequent email to the Brookings Register on Thursday, he said the firefighters werent seriously injured, and that the South Dakota Highway Patrol was investigating the incident.
Bolzer added that the incident occurred after small passenger vehicle began losing control on the slick roadway, causing the tractor/trailer rig to jack knife and enter the median.Its momentum caused the rig to hit the side of the BFD truck, causing substantial damage.He noted that a damage estimate was not available Thursday.
If that wasnt bad enough, more drivers are also not seeing or are ignoring school buses with flashing lights and extended stop arms something that puts childrens lives at risk.
We have seen an absolute increase in the complete disregard of the stop arms on buses, Nate Loehr, director of transportation for the Brookings School District, wrote in an email Thursday. A lot of the violations center around our short buses that work in town picking up special education children. The dangers for potential harm to these children is very real. Many of these students are unaware of their surroundings and have impulses that may cause them to dart out from a potentially hidden area. This could result in a very bad scenario when people do not obey the stop arm.
The Brookings Police Department seconded Loehrs observations.
(We have) seen a spike in violations with drivers not stopping or acknowledging the stop arms on school buses, Patrol Sgt. Rhett Larsen said. More specifically, when school came into session in August and after an extended school break such as Christmas break.
It’s not just in Brookings, either. Incidents have also occurred in more rural areas, according to the Brookings County Sheriffs Office.
Assistant Sheriff Scott Sebring said that, in 2022, six drivers were cited for unlawfully passing a school bus with flashing lights. Last year, three drivers were cited and, so far in 2024, one driver has been cited.
Unfortunately, there was one instance in 2023 where a driver passed the school bus on the right shoulder while children were attempting to enter the bus, Sebring wrote. Although the children were not struck, the incident was extremely dangerous. However, the driver could not be located.
He continued, It’s important to note that passing a school bus with activated lights is one of the most dangerous driving offenses. The lights only flash on the school bus when children are entering or exiting the bus and are unprotected from motor vehicles.
Oh, and if youve scooted by a school bus dropping off or picking up children and thought you got away with the indiscretion well, you might want to think again.
We have been working with the (BPD) to pursue every stop arm violator, Loehr said. All of our buses have cameras at multiple angles, and the BPD has been gracious about pursuing legal ramifications for violators.
Sebring noted that, recently, the Brookings School District has upgraded their bus recording systems, which allows the district to provide exceptional video and photographic evidence.
Bus drivers and properly equipped bus recording systems have played a crucial role in providing accurate information to the deputies needed to identify and cite offending drivers, he added.
Unlawfully passing a school bus is, under South Dakota law, a Class 2 misdemeanor that can bring a maximum of 30 days in jail and/or a $500 fine. You can avoid that, of course, by taking to heart what law enforcers say.
We would like to remind the citizens of Brookings that while operating a vehicle the driver must stop if the stop arm is out or if the flashing red lights are activated on the school bus, Larsen said. We would also like remind citizens vehicles approaching a stopped school bus are required to stop when approaching from either direction. We encourage everyone to remain vigilant in school zones and cautious when approaching school buses.
Sebring added further advice, saying, Drivers should leave plenty of room for the children entering or exiting to be seen by other drivers and not continue traveling until the children have left the roadway.
Loehr said that, while the BSD does its best to avoid causing traffic snarls, sometimes there simply isnt another option.
We are aware that stopping can be an inconvenience to drivers and we try our best to work around areas that could create a back-up in traffic, he said. Please know, if we are in an area during a perceivably bad time, we hope that our community will understand there was no other option for us.
So, in closing, if youre hitting the road, drive defensively and be aware of the stop arms and flashing lights on school buses in the area. Your responsibility can save a kids life perhaps even one you know.
This is a very relevant and real issue and we hope that people will heed the stop arm, Loehr said. I couldnt imagine being a person that would be responsible for injuring, or causing the death of a child.
Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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