By Shannon Samson
Posted by Jill Lyman
School starts in Vanderburgh and Warrick counties Monday, so Evansville Police are asking drivers to be "super vigilant" about obeying traffic laws in school zones.
That means slowing down to 20 miles an hour when children are present or when the yellow lights are flashing. Police also remind you to stop when you see the flashing red lights on the arm of the school bus.
One Warrick county family is also making that plea to drivers. November 26th will mark a year since someone ran through the stop arm on Highway 261 and slammed into then 8-year-old Kacey Groves while she was getting off the bus.
Kacey Groves can run, which is quite an accomplishment after breaking both a tibia and fibia.
"My leg feels like a normal leg now, but back then it was pain." said Kacey.
Back then, she was recovering from a crash that nearly killed her. Who can forget when Kacey told us what happened in her own words while lying in the hospital.
"I was going off the bus, and all of a sudden this white car was coming, and it just hit me," said Kacey last November.
Sheriff's deputies say the elderly woman driving that white car on Highway 261 disregarded the school bus's stop arm.
She was charged with a misdemeanor while Kacey went on to have two surgeries and months of physical therapy.
"Mentally, she has been a big trouper about it," said Kacy's mom, Krista Groves. "She handled everything just like a good little soldier."
And like a soldier, Kacey and her mom are on a crusade to get more drivers to pay attention on the roads when school is in session.
"I don't want it ever happening again," said Krista. "What happened to Kacey is absolutely inexcusable and there is no reason for it."
So, she's asking Newburgh businesses to put on their marquees during the first week of school a message that says "always stop for the school bus."
14 News cameras caught a driver of a blue truck completely ignoring it. Krista wishes she could tell that person..." The next person who runs through a bus stop sign, it could be your kid's bus stop. Do we really want to take that chance?" said Krista.
To reinforce that message, Krista asked State Representative Suzanne Crouch to sponsor a bill to change it from a misdemeanor to a felony, punishable by up to three years in prison, for drivers who cause serious injuries to kids like Kacey.
"Be careful. Slow down. School is coming up," said Krista
Representative Crouch introduced that bill during the short session, but legislators were busy with property tax relief and didn't get to to.
Crouch says a committee is studying it this summer and it will get reintroduced in January during long session.
