A girl from West Virginia narrowly avoided an impatient driver as she stepped off the school bus. Cameras on the bus caught the incident from multiple angles.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The near-miss happened as the student was on the way home on March 14 in Kanawha County. She had just exited the bus when a white Lincoln Sedan sped past her. The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office revealed
footage of the incident on Facebook. The driver seemingly ignores the parked bus and hurtles around it, missing the student by mere inches.Concerningly, the car already appears damaged in the footage. The bodywork on the front right hangs off, and even the bonnet looks slightly bent. Per the social media post, the damage is covered with white tape. It seems like the driver notices the child at the last moment as they veer off the road and onto the grass before speeding off.
Police Arrested The Driver Shortly After
Per an
updated press release on March 21 by the Sheriff's Office, officers quickly tracked down and charged the driver. Authorities identified the suspect as Kevin W. Webster of Saint Albans. He was booked by the Putnam County Sheriff's office driving the same beaten-up sedan.A report by Fox 8 suggests that officers wanted to confirm Webster was behind the wheel before bringing him in. The press release reveals that Webster is facing a list of charges, including reckless driving, overtaking and passing a School Bus, and DUI as a habitual drug user. He was also driving with a revoked and suspended license. The statement concludes with a warning to obey school bus warning lights and stop signs.
Stepping off the school bus can be dangerous, but it's not always safe onboard, either. A mom from Indianapolis recently boarded a school bus in the morning to confront her son's bully. She reportedly punched the 14-year-old multiple times, leaving them with a fractured nose and a bruised, swollen left eye.
Ryan Mears, a prosecutor on the case, said, "When parents make the decision to get on a school bus when they have no business being on a school bus, you can either serve as a peacekeeper or make the situation 20-30 times worse."
