New cameras on Miamisburg school buses aimed at capturing drivers who ignore stop signs

Back in November, a Miamisburg mother posted a video from her doorbell camera on Facebook that showed a car driving passed her children’s stopped school bus on Belvo Road.

>> RELATED: Miamisburg mother happy to see citation for driving past stopped bus

Joanna Bentley recently received an email from the superintendent of her children’s school district that informed her they are now getting school bus cameras to catch drivers who don’t stop when a bus is stopped.

"It was the best news I have had in a long time, I started crying when I read the email," she told News Center 7's Sean Cudahy.

After the incident, police stepped up bus stop enforcement and local lawmaker Rep. Niraj Antani also announced a bill for tougher penalties for drivers who don’t stop.

“We don’t want anyone to get hit obviously. That’s the first priority,” said Miamisburg School Resource Officer Ryan Copsey.

>> RELATED: Parent: High school road a ‘hot spot’ for speeders ignoring buses

To start off, Miamisburg schools are installing five cameras, costing about $500 a piece, that’ll record when the bus is running and will catch the rear license plates of drivers who don’t stop. The district will then take those images and file a report with police.

Bentley says she still can’t believe her mission has led to so much action.

“I’m just a mom who saw a problem with my son’s bus, with people not stopping for it. I went to the school, I went to the police, I went to the city council meeting, I went to the school board meeting, I’ve been on the news,” she said.

>> RELATED: Miamisburg school bus cameras will crack down on drivers violating law

School officials say they’re putting the first five cameras on buses that have the most violations and that they hope to install more.

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