Ga. bill seeks new school bus routes after girl’s death
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Less than a month after an 8-year-old girl was hit and killed while trying to board a Henry County school bus, lawmakers introduced a new bill that could impact bus routes for Georgia students.
HB 1284, or “Addy’s Law,” calls for public school systems to consider bus routes with stops that do not require children to cross the road when the speed limit is over 40 mph.
It also levies harsher punishments for people who don’t stop for school buses.
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Violators could be charged with a high and aggravated misdemeanor and be subject to a $1,000 fine or year-long sentence, and repeated offenses could be reported to the person’s insurance company.
“In the wake of the heartbreaking loss of Addy, a bright and beloved member of our community, our resolve to safeguard our children has never been stronger,” Rep. Clint Crowe, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, said. “This devastating incident highlights an urgent need for action against the reckless endangerment of our most vulnerable citizens—our children. They deserve to journey to and from school under the mantle of safety, and it is our duty to ensure that no other family endures the pain of losing a child in such a preventable manner.”
The bill is named after Adalynn Pierce, who was hit by a car that didn’t stop for the school bus she was trying to board on Feb. 1. Pierce was flown to Egelston Children’s Hospital in Atlanta in critical condition and later died.
Kaylee Andre, 25, was arrested and faces charges of first-degree homicide by vehicle, failure to stop for a school bus loading and unloading and failure to exercise due care. Andre told police her windows were foggy and she couldn’t see the bus or girl, according to her arrest warrant.
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