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Posted: 11:01 PM Feb 28, 2010
Family Pushing for Tougher School Bus Safety Laws
The family of 6-year-old Haven McCarthy is fighting for tougher penalties for drivers who don't stop for a school buses' flashing lights.
Reporter: Brooks Jarosz Email Address: brooks.jarosz@wsaz.com |
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60 Comments 
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- The family of 6-year-old Haven McCarthy is fighting for tougher penalties for drivers who don't stop for a school buses' flashing lights.
Haven was killed in 2007 when a driver didn't put on the brakes.
"It's not the way life is supposed to go," Haven's dad Jacob McCarthy said. "Your kids are supposed to bury you, but unfortunately we had to bury her because of negligence and because there's no stiff punishments for what happened."
Since that devastating day, the family says they've witnessed people failing to stop for buses numerous times before and now they're trying again to do something about it.
"I'm to the point now that if I see a bus letting kids off I pull my car diagonal," Jacob McCarthy said. "I will block that side of traffic and my side of traffic when I'm driving just to make sure that there aren't any cars going to come up from behind me and if they do they're going to hit my car and not hit someone else."
"Haven's Law" could be on the West Virginia House floor Monday.
"They passed the 180 day bill for children to be in school, let's pass a bill that's going to keep them safe at the bus stop," Haven's grandmother Linda McCarthy Bailey said.
The law would slap a stiffer fine and jail time for anyone passing a bus when its flashing red lights are on.
A similar bill died last April in a Senate Committee where senators said simply time ran out.
Latest Comments
The bus driver also got out of the bus and Gave cpr to her And it was a man.
First off, my condolences go out to the family of Haven. As a school bus operator for 13 years, I would like to share a story with the rest of you. Back in the month of December 2009, while stopped on a narrow country roadway with my red lights activated, a motorist felt she was an exception to the laws and passed my bus from behind, running off the road going between the passenger side of my bus and a barn, nearly ripping off the front service door, and almost running over the two young children walking across in front of the bus in the early morning hours. Myself and the parents were in a total state of shock, and it took me a minute to comprehend just what happened. I feel all buses in the State of West Virginia should be equipped with external cameras in order to help the bus operator file criminal charges against these people who have no regard for public safety.
I AM SO SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR LITTLE GIRL. THEY REALLY NEED TO PASS THESE TOUGH LAWS IN ALL THE TO STATES.THERE IS KNOW SINCE IN THIS AT ALL THESE ARE OUR KIDS THAT THESE FOOLS ARE KILLING. GOOD LUCK WITH GETTING YOUR BILL PASSED!!!!
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