SUV Ignores Flashing Bus Lights, Strikes 7-Year-Old Boy

An impatient driver ignored the flashing red lights of a school bus and ran down a 7-year-old boy in front of the eyes of horrified parents and terrified children.

The incident occurred at around 4:30pm at the intersection of Carroll Street and Schenectady Avenue. A Jofaz Transportation yellow bus ferrying children home from Oholei Torah was dropping them off at its last stop.

With its two stop signs out and its red lights flashing a number of children got off the bus and safely crossed the street. But one driver could not be bothered to wait and instead ignored the flashing lights and sped past the bus and ran down a 7-year-old boy right before the eyes of waiting parents and other children.

A Shomrim volunteer who was at the scene immediately called Hazalah and 911. The child, who was visibly shaken, but did not appear to be seriously hurt was nevertheless checked out by emergency medical personal, than taken to a nearby hospital for further checkups.

Meanwhile some of the kids who witnessed the crash went into shock and Hatzalah volunteers went to speak to them at their home.

Police officers filled out a collision report, and it is not clear if the driver received any summonses.

At the time of publication CrownHeights.info has learned that the boy has already returned home and doctors have confirmed that he did not sustain any serious injures, ‘a true miracle’ one of them noted.

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44 Comments

  • Yossi A

    Passing a flashing red and no ticket!!!!

    The driver must have been colored…….

    • LYP

      Probably Jewish, do you realize how incredibly racist and stupid your being… Then you wonder why they hate us

    • Citizen Berel

      LYP we do not wonder why they hate us. Those that hate us hate us cause they are wicked. That is the reason to hate Jews. Because wicked ones hate Jews. In case that wasn’t clear what I mean to say is that if you are wicked you will hate Jews. Do you hate Jews? It’s because you are wicked.

      No one hates blacks or anyone else less than Jews. They do not hate because of our ‘racism.’ Those that hate, hate because they are wicked.

    • ADN

      Absolutely unnecessary to project the race of the driver. The driver broke the law and put innocent lives at risk- it doesn’t matter what race they are in the slightest- the punishment should remain the same.

    • I live in CH

      ADN, what does it matter the race? Does that have anything to do with the accident?

      Food for thought: Each time a bad/illegal act by someone who is Jewish is written about, people on this site get upset because the writer is “informing” on a fellow Jew.

      There shouldn’t be two sets of rules.

  • Bus morah

    Do u know how many times this happens?????? Bus drivers need to block entire street. Drivers, if u have no patience. Dont drive. Obnoxious.

  • Annoying but Necessary

    In Williamsburg and Boro Park the buses stop Diagonally in the middle of the street so cars are restricted from passing. Annoying but Necessary.

    • me

      How do you know that’s not what the driver did?
      The driver blocked the street diagonally, but as you see there were no cars parked on the left, and that was where the car tried going around the bus and ended up hitting the kid.all other cars stopped behind the bus, but this one tried to go around….

  • rachel t

    THIS is what police should be giving tickets for!!!!!!! Real dangerous drivers.

  • love Hatzala

    So awesome of them to go talk to the kids who witnessed it. Above and beyond the call of duty. Makes me proud to be a Jew.
    B”H the child is safe.

  • Mordechai

    I feel so sorry for the kid, but after reviewing nearby CCTV, the bus was not flashing it’s lights. Only after the car hit the kid did the driver turn on the red lights.

  • loss of licence

    I thought an offense of that nature warranted an automatic loss of licence. If not, then it should!!! Just because he wasn’t injured, doesn’t make it any less illegal or dangerous!!!

  • Not an SUV

    Why say the SUV ignored the stop? The vehicle did nothing wrong. Headline should’ve read: “Selfish, impatient person strikes boy with SUV”

  • Remembering a great bus driver

    Moshe Abelski was a great person.
    When he would pick up or drop off the children he would go across all lanes to block anyone from going through. He told me that at one point they please officer pulled him over and told him that it was illegal to go across all lanes that way. He told the police officer that he treats every child as if it was the phone and turn it to the police officer he said wouldn’t you want your child’s bus driver to do the same? The police officer smiled and said I would love it if my son’s bus driver did the same.

    • Translate please

      ” he treats every child as if it was the phone and turn it to the police officer”

      I thought the world of Moshe Abelsky too. But would the writer of this post please explain what the words above mean?

      “the phone”? Does the writer mean:
      “his own”?
      “and turn it to the police officer”? Does the writer mean “and, turning to the police officer”?

      Sometimes the “typos” are so bad they can’t be understood, but I think you’re trying to make a good point; just not sure due to your hard-to-make-sense-of writing….

  • Twice in one day!!

    By a different bus stop a car ignored the stop sign and the flashing red light from the bus and drove ahead but was stopped by the bus driver. Bh no one was hurt. The bus driver got out of the bus and stood watching till every kid was safe on the sidewalk.

  • Be accurate

    Please be cautious in your reporting. The boy was not ‘run down’, which implies he was actually run over, he was obviously hit in some way. And the other children who witnessed it, did not ‘go into shock’ which is a deadly medical condition, they actually were traumatized, which is an emotional reaction to seeing something shocking.
    I am not trying to minimize the disgusting behavior of the driver, or the B”H miracle that kept this child safe, but it is important to write responsibly, not to cause the spread of inaccurate information.

    • Inccorect

      No, run down does not imply ‘run over’. A speeding vehicle struck the child and as result he went flying and ended up on the ground. This is run down.

      You are further incorrect with your ‘shock’ statement. Acute Stress Reaction (aka Shock) is the psychological reaction to witnessing a traumatic event. Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_stress_reaction

  • Anonymous

    Our drivers need to follow what other bus drivers do in all of the other neighborhoods. they cut diagonally across the street and block anybody wanting to pass, it will save lives!!

  • mom

    to 13. Anonymous wrote:

    when was the last time something like this happened?

    March 25, 2015 10:42 am

    same happened about 3 years ago also in crown heights. a van passed a school bus…

    • ADN

      And incidents like this occur outside of CH as well. Drivers need to obey the law and WAIT.

  • #23

    My dear friend. the ‘acute stress disorder’ you refer to, related to PTSD, is NOT called ‘GOING INTO SHOCK’. It is a reaction to seeing something shocking. This article said the children ‘WENT INTO SHOCK’ – if you ask any first medical professional, they will tell you that going into shock is a medical condition, often associated with blood loss, and I just suggested they try to use more accurate terminology.
    “Shock is a state of physical shutdown. Your body goes into shock when there is not enough circulating blood. Shock can cause multiple organ failure. It can lead to life-threatening complications, such as heart failure.”
    furthermore, “the phrasal verb RUN OVER is used when a car PASSES OVER an object, animal, or person.”
    so yes, the boy was hit, not run over. I just said this in the first place, because when i read the beginning of the article, I pictured to myself a boy absolutely crushed, and a bunch of children in shock, and it was NOT accurate. Why the hostility? I wasn’t criticizing you, or putting down the story, I just don’t like sensationalism in reporting. News should be as accurate as possible – that means learning how to use precise verbs and language.
    That being said, I am very happy to hear that these poor children DID have follow up for what was probably a very scary and traumatic thing to witness. I am also relieved by the condition of the boy, and outraged that ANYONE would pass a school bus unloading children. it is shocking!! (no pun intended).

    • I do not understand either

      Agree with #28. No one here, thank G-d, went into shock, and NO ONE was “ran down.”

      (and there’s a “than” where it should be a “then” in this article)

      Language must be precise for clarity. #28 is absolutely correct and the author of the article should take that into account for next time. Leave the dramatic language for the true tragedies, of which we have more than enough.

  • what is the law?

    Can someone please post what the rules are regarding a school bus. Sometimes there are flashing lights but no stop sign… TIA

    • I do not understand either

      From the NY DMV web site:

      Passing School Buses

      When a stopped school bus flashes its red light(s), traffic that approaches from either direction, even in front of the school and in school parking lots, must stop before it reachs the bus. You should stop at least 20 feet (6 m) away from the bus. You can identify this bus by a “SCHOOL BUS” sign, the red lights on the top, and its unique yellow orange color.

      Before a school bus stops to load or discharge passengers, the driver will usually flash yellow warning lights. When you see them, decrease speed and be prepared to stop.

      When you stop for a school bus, you can not drive again until the red lights stop flashing or when the bus driver or a traffic officer signals the you can proceed. This law applies on all roadways in New York State. You must stop for a school bus even if it is on the opposite side of a divided highway.

      After you stop for a school bus, look for children along the side of the road. Drive slowly until you have passed them.

      Safety Tip: Most school bus-related deaths and injuries occur while children cross the street after being discharged from the bus, not in collisions that involve school buses.

      Remember that vehicles that transport disabled persons can be equipped as school buses and you must stop for them as you would for other school buses.

      The fine when you pass a stopped school bus ranges from a minimum of $250 for a first violation to a maximum of $1,000 for three violations in three years. If you are convicted of three of these violations in three years, your driver license will be revoked for a minimum of six months.

  • omg!!!!

    Hashem enough is enough make this stop. Refuah sheleima, and may we hear good news from now on . we need moshich now !!!

  • That PR bus driver

    This town I drive my bus in is a very heavy populated city, and everyday is a challenge dealing with people who can’t obey school bus laws and they don’t realize innocent childrens lives are at risk. It’s extremly hard to change everyone’s driving decisions but I hope stories like this changes people’s minds when it comes to passing school buses. STOP MEANS STOP PEOPLE.

  • geisinsky

    WE JUST NEED MOSHIAH AND HE SHOULD HAVE A SPTY RECOVERY AND WE SHOULD BE IN JERUSALEM WITH THE REDDE AND AND ALL IT ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!