Patrol Urges Caution Around School Buses After Video Captures Near Miss

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Snow is on the ground. A sixth-grader with a backpack walks in front of her stopped school bus. A horn sounds.

The girl halts in the middle of the road. The next moment, a black pickup rushes by and continues on down a residential road.

That was the scene captured by surveillance video in a Rosemount school bus. The State Patrol shared it Monday on Facebook, urging drivers to always stop for school buses.

Officials say the girl in the video could have been seriously injured or even killed by the driver, who was later caught and charged in the case.

What's the law around stopped school buses?

Motorists must stop at least 20 feet from a school bus that is displaying red flashing lights and/or has the stop arm extended, according to the Department of Public Safety.

The red flashing lights indicate that students are getting on or off the bus.

Drivers are not obliged to stop if there is a median between their vehicle and the bus.