NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A group of Antioch parents is fighting to protect their children at what they describe as a dangerous school bus stop on Hamilton Church Road.
National data shows that while school buses are statistically the safest way to transport schoolchildren, dangers still exist. From 2014 to 2023, 209 school-age children died in school-bus-related traffic crashes, with 79 of those being pedestrians.
Gerzena Jackson and her neighbors say the two-lane road with one turn lane has become a hazard zone where drivers routinely ignore stopped school buses.
"We have to be out here to make sure our kids don't get hit by a car," Jackson said.
The parents report that until recently, the school bus dropped students off across the street from the Hamilton Crossing community, forcing children to cross the busy road.
"I'm just afraid now that we have more kids that somebody, even my kid, is gonna get killed, or we're gonna get killed. We have to, like, walk out in the street for them to stop," Jackson said.
An MNPS spokesperson says the bus stop at 3001 Hamilton Church Road meets safety standards, with the bus equipped with flashing lights and a stop sign. Drivers also use hand signals to indicate when it's safe for students to cross.
However, residents insist that many drivers don't obey the law.
"They try to get around them before they stop. And the guys even stop in the school bus, and people are passing. When you come over this hill, you can't see what's going on," said one neighbor.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that from 2000 to 2023, there were 61 fatalities in crashes involving drivers illegally passing stopped school buses. This averages to 2.5 fatalities per year among pedestrians 18 years old or younger.
Jackson says she has repeatedly contacted city officials requesting signs or increased patrols, but has received no assistance.
"Kids don't pay attention [getting] off the bus, and they just run across the street," Jackson said. "And I called last year and complained about this, complaining about this, and I'm sick of it."
When I arrived to report on the situation, the bus unexpectedly changed its route, dropping children off inside the neighborhood – something parents say had never happened before.
"This is the first time since he has been in school, and everybody knows it," Jackson said. "This is the first time that bus ever came up in here, first time."
Jackson hopes the change becomes permanent.
"I hope it's permanent from that, I'm still call y'all. I'm gonna keep complaining until they do something about it," Jackson said.
Tennessee state law requires traffic to stop in both directions when a school bus is loading or unloading students.
MNPS maintains that the location meets safety standards and encourages families to contact their transportation team with specific concerns about bus stop locations.
This story was reported on-air and written by Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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