Cars caught on camera passing school bus dropping off kids

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two mothers armed with a smartphone caught cars passing a school bus four times on video.

[Teen driver, sister killed in head-on crash passing school bus]

They staked out the spot last week on Providence Road at Fairway Row Lane.

Leigh Ann Ordan and Shelby Gamm decided to start recording drivers making this illegal move.

"The lights are out. You can see on the video, and cars are still going through it," Ordan said.

Nearby residents said it's been happening since March.

"At first, we thought it was a fluke, and then it was happening on the daily," Gamm said.

Ordin said she's seen the police patrol this intersection but worries it's not enough to stop the problem.

"In one of my videos, you can see I stepped out in front of the bus to see who would pass," Ordin said.

"God forbid a child ran out. They would have no time to stop."

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said: "We would encourage parents to reach out to local law enforcement. Officers are able to issue citations when patrols in the area see violations. CMS has always encouraged motorists to stop for school buses when flashing lights and stop arm are engaged."

The penalty for passing a school bus is a $200 fine and five points on your license.

CMPD released the following statement: "We have seen the video posted on Twitter and this behavior is unacceptable. There is no excuse for placing children's lives at risk by ignoring traffic laws. The only time you are not required to stop for a school bus which is displaying its stop arm or flashing lights is if you are traveling the opposite direction on a 4-plus lane roadway that is divided by a median."

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