As kids all around the metro head back to school, one mother reminds drivers to slow down and stop when a school bus stop sign comes out.
Ashley Pierce lost her 8-year-old daughter when police say a driver went around a stopped school bus and hit her . It’s why Pierce fought for Addy’s Law, named after her daughter.
Georgia is now one of the toughest states in America when it comes to these bus laws. Pierce is happy lawmakers recognized the need to pass Addy’s Law.
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“It’s because a child died. It wasn’t because almost. Or could have,” she said.
It was her child, 8-year-old Adalyn, who was killed on February 1, as she crossed a rural road in Henry County to catch her bus. Police say Kaylee Andre ignored the stop sign out on Addy’s bus and hit her.
Pierce pushed for Addy’s law, which increases fines for violating bus stop laws by up to $1,000 and up to 12 months in jail. It also encourages school districts to reconfigure bus routes where children don’t have to cross roads to board.