Video shows SUV blow past stopped Henrico school bus

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — It took less than five seconds for an SUV to speed past a stopped Henrico County school bus as elementary school students were getting off.

The near miss happened Thursday afternoon during school bus drop-off on Impala Drive in the Dumbarton neighborhood.

Erin Rebmann said she was watching as her first grader and other children prepared to get off the bus when she saw the SUV approaching.

RAW VIDEO: SUV blows past school bus

“I noticed that car was not stopping, and my heart just sunk, and I just held my breath, hoping nobody got hurt,” Rebmann said.

Ring camera video captured the SUV driving past the stopped bus while children were getting off bus and walking to the road.

Rebmann said the timing of the incident was especially concerning because children are often excited to see their parents after being at school all day.

“A lot of these children get off the bus. They've been away from their parents all day, and they're just so excited to see them. And I know most of those kids get off and just immediately run for their parents. So it's like had it been two seconds later, this could have been an entirely different story,” she said.

The speed limit on Impala Drive is 25 miles per hour. Rebmann said speeding has been a concern in the neighborhood for years.

“It used to be 35. People would exceed that, maybe go 45, maybe a little bit faster, especially at night. So they did drop within the last couple years down to 25, and then they also added in speed bumps a little further down,” she said.

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Despite video evidence, Henrico Police said an officer must witness a traffic infraction in order to issue a citation.

However, police said they shared the Ring video with traffic enforcement unit supervisors and patrol operations for review and assignment.

After reviewing the video, a police spokesperson told CBS 6 that they’ll will work to have an officer stationed at the intersection during school drop-off going forward.

A Henrico County Public Schools spoksperson said their buses do not have exterior cameras, however bus drivers and transportation staff will alert police to areas where motorists fail to stop for school buses.

"Keeping our students safe is a shared community responsibility. We urge every driver to slow down in residential areas, put away distractions, and pay attention to the flashing red lights and extended stop-arms of school buses. Passing a stopped bus is illegal, reckless and preventable," the spokesperson said. "Saving a few seconds is never worth putting a child’s life at risk."

Rebmann hoped the incident serves as a reminder for drivers to stop when a school bus is loading or unloading children.

For her daughter, she said the near miss also became an important lesson.

“That was a teaching moment. This is why we stop and look,” Rebmann said.

This is a developing story, so check back with WTVR.com for updates. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have info, photos or videos to share.