Local school bus driver fired after being seen on video crashing into parked cars with kids on board
Granite City, IL. (KMOV) - Local school bus companies are under fire after drivers are caught on camera running through stop signs and crashing into cars.
First Student Inc. has decided to fire a driver after he was seen on video smashing into four parked cars. The dangerous crash was caught on Alyssa Wells’ doorbell camera at 8:30 a.m. Monday in Granite City.
“My boyfriend’s SUV is actually in the air, and a bus had hit all three of our vehicles,” explained Wells. “I saw car parts spread throughout the road. It was devastating,”
The First Student bus driver hit the vehicles head-on while students were on board. Wells said she remembers kids screaming after the collision.
“I know that there is a bus driver shortage, so getting these kids to and from school is very important, but clearly we need to reassess the people we are putting behind the wheel with the kids,” she said.
According to the police report, the “driver was distracted by child on the bus” which led to the accident.
Wells told News 4 that despite reaching out to the bus company, she has yet to hear from First Student.
“We’ve left voicemails. We haven’t heard anything back.”
In March, a Missouri Central bus driver was seen on video speeding through a stop sign outside Crown Candy on St. Louis Avenue. A spokesperson said the driver was new to the route, taken off the job for a few days, and the video will be used as a teaching lesson for future drivers.
“My kids won’t be on the bus. I can tell you that much. After this, it’s enough for me,” Wells said.
Granite City Schools released the following statement regarding the incident:
“First Student, our contracted transportation provider, had a bus accident while transporting Granite City Community Unit School District #9 students on Monday, March 20 during the AM routes. First Student is currently investigating the accident. The safety of our students remains our number one priority. Out of privacy and respect, we cannot disclose health information on any of our students.”
Copyright 2023 KMOV. All rights reserved.