2 students struck by drivers illegally passing school buses, police say

AUSTIN, Texas -- Two students were struck by vehicles after exiting school buses in Austin, Texas, earlier this week.

They're expected to be OK, KVUE reports. But police said these incidents are important reminders as to why drivers should respect the rules of the road and why parents must talk to their kids about looking both ways.

Many drivers try to avoid following a school bus during student pick-up and drop-off times when classes are in session. That's because most drivers know they must stop when the stop sign on a school bus is extended and the flashing lights are on.

The law is in place to protect children as they head home from their bus stops. But it seems some drivers in Austin need to be reminded of that law.

In the last week, Austin Independent School District police said more than 900 citations were issued in the last week to drivers who passes school buses illegally. During the last semester, AISD police said 6,600 citations were issued.

"When we're close to 1,000 just in the first week of school, we're going to pass 6,600 for the school year," said Eric Mendez, AISD police chief.

On Monday, a 17-year-old boy was struck by a pickup truck in a crosswalk as the vehicle made a right turn. The student was able to get up and brush himself off. KXAN reports the 16-year-old driver said she didn't know she was supposed to stop.

On Tuesday, a 12-year-old boy rushing to cross the street was struck by a white pickup truck and thrown. This student was also not seriously hurt.

Both drivers were ticketed. Mendez asked drivers to stop for school buses and urged parents to speak with their children about crossing the street.

"We'll continue enforcement. We have all the officers and all our school officers assigned out, watching school zones, bus stops and intersections to try to enforce that. But we need our parents to make sure they're having conversations with their children. Just because you have the right of way doesn't mean you should just cross without watching," Mendez said.