KSHB 41 reporter Marlon Martinez covers Platte and Clay counties in Missouri. Share your story idea with Marlon.
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A Platte County mother is adding her voice to calls for tougher penalties after witnessing drivers illegally pass stopped school buses near her children's school.
Andrea Lynn Rodriguez, whose children attend Pathfinder Elementary, said she has personally seen drivers ignore flashing red lights and pass school buses during morning pickups since the school year began in August.
"There's a lot of drive through traffic, and I've seen previous neighbors actually pass the bus when the red light started flashing," Rodriguez said.
The violations have turned her morning routine into a source of daily anxiety.
"I really get very frustrated and almost sometimes infuriated by the lack of respect for our children," Rodriguez said. "I mean, I send my kids, obviously, to the bus stop hoping that they're safe and hoping that they'll be safe on their way to school, of course, as well."
Rodriguez said she has been advocating for solutions to this problem for years, requesting police presence and other changes to improve safety around school buses.
"This has been about six years where I've requested police presence. I have requested that, you know, the something changes, and so hopefully, with stories like yours, they will," Rodriguez said.
Her concerns align with recent calls from Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd for higher fines and tougher stop-arm laws to deter drivers from illegally passing school buses. Rodriguez said she felt relieved and validated when she learned about the prosecutor's position.
"If it's something where the fines scare these people into minding the laws, then I think that's what we should do, and that's what we need to do," Rodriguez said.
She hopes continued attention to this issue will prompt legislators to take preventative action before a child is injured.
"Why can't we do a preventative action and making sure those fines are higher versus, 'hey, you know, one of our children is now dead. Now we're going to take action. Now we're going to move,'" Rodriguez said.
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