'These violations are still happening;' People still ignoring stopped school buses in Rochester

ROCHESTER, Ind. --- It’s been nearly three months since Rochester Schools equipped all their buses with stop arm cameras.

It’s all in the honor of three children – Mason, Alivia, and Xzavier – who lost their lives while crossing the road to get to their Fulton County school bus in October of last year.

But just how much are those cameras deterring people from obeying stopped school bus laws?

There’s been 6 total stop arm violations caught on camera in the streets of Rochester.

Rochester is a small community so while the numbers may seem minuscule, it’s still shocking to those officers that responded to that fatal crash back in October that this is still happening.

“I’m just as shocked as anyone that these violations are still happening,” Travis Heishman said, Fulton County Detective Sergeant. He reviews the footage after drivers commit stop arm violations. “You would think that in this community people would be more in tune with the school buses especially with the tragedies that took place.”

Those numbers are also shocking to Brittany Ingle, who lost her three children in the October 30 crash in Fulton County.

 “I wouldn’t wish this on anyone,” Ingle said. “Don’t think it can’t happen to you because it can.”

She can’t understand why people just won’t stop.

“To know that people are still doing it is sickening,” Ingle said.

So how can people not see a big yellow school bus with flashing lights? I asked Detective Heishman that question.

 “That they don’t see it? Or that they don’t pay attention to it? I think it’s they don’t pay attention. Driving has taken second place to everything else that’s going on it the car,” Heishman said. “It seems like we just forget so quickly and so easily you know we go back to it didn’t personally affect a lot of these people or any of these people.” 

Although people are continuing to ignore stopped school buses in Fulton County, the cameras are still helping with holding people accountable

 “The sheriff’s department is taking a zero tolerance stance,” Heishman said. “Everyone is receiving citations for it.”

If you pass a stopped Rochester school bus just remember, there’s a 100 percent chance you will receive a ticket for it.

The family is pleading with all drivers to pay attention because it could cost another innocent child’s life.

“You always think god if only this was brought to light soon my kids would still be here,” Ingle said. “As long as the officers keep highlighting the issue and we keep making it so unattractive that they’re passing these buses, I really think people are going to look twice and think again.”