🚗 51 drivers blow past stopped school bus, get tickets during Pct. 4 Constable sting in Klein

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – During an undercover sting in Klein, Harris County Precinct 4 Constable deputies stopped 51 drivers who sped past a stopped school bus.

They didn’t just write tickets, they found drugs and a gun along the way.

During the massive morning undercover school bus sting operation, 51 Houston-area drivers were caught blowing past school buses’ flashing red lights and extended stop signs.

It’s a problem that’s reaching crisis levels nationwide, with an estimated 43.5 million illegal school bus passings recorded during the 2022-2023 school year.

• 3 new trustees elected to Cypress-Fairbanks ISD school board

“We’re kind of zero tolerance when it comes to passing school buses, especially for the safety of our kids,” said Cpl. Patrick Patterson of the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.

And for good reason. Federal data shows children are more likely to die while getting on or off a school bus than while riding in one.

From 2010 to 2019, pedestrian deaths near buses were 1.6 times higher than deaths of bus occupants.

The pre-dawn operation along Louetta Road in Klein started simply enough.

Deputies positioned themselves strategically, watching as one bus after another picked up sleepy-eyed students.

• All 17 Texas propositions have passed. Here’s how the state will be reshaped

But things quickly escalated when five vehicles zoomed past a single stopped bus, leading to a traffic stop that uncovered marijuana and a firearm with an altered serial number.

“Every time you go to pass a school bus that’s stopped on the side of the road, loading or unloading, it’s a potential tragedy,” said Capt. Aaron Strain of the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.

The excuses flowed as freely as the citations.

One driver, who identified himself as a pastor, told Cpl. Patterson he didn’t have his driver’s license.

Another driver, caught passing a bus with two other vehicles, had both a suspended license and expired registration.

“I genuinely didn’t see it,” they said.

“It was pretty obvious with the big yellow school bus and the flashing lights and the red stop sign,” Cpl. Patteron said in response.

In a single morning, the operation revealed a startling snapshot of how many drivers ignore one of the most basic traffic laws: stopping for a school bus.

At one point, deputies pulled over five cars that simultaneously passed the same stopped bus.

One of the cited drivers, identified only as Valerie, offered a chastened warning to others.

“Stop when it comes to a bus, especially when they’re picking up children,” she said.

Another driver was detained and later arrested for having drugs in the car, along with a handgun that appeared to have the serial number scraped off.

Law enforcement officials note that every state requires vehicles to stop when encountering a school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop sign arm.

While most violations result in hefty fines, Wednesday’s operation proved some stops can uncover more serious crimes.

The message from Harris County law enforcement is clear: whether you’re running late, distracted or simply impatient, passing a stopped school bus isn’t worth the risk to your record or to a child’s life.