Action News Jax Investigates: Bus used as traffic shield, kids on board put at risk

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sky Action News Jax caught a school bus with students on board, blocking traffic on Beach Boulevard.

The incident was caught at 3 p.m. Tuesday after drivers told Action News Jax it happens outside River City Science Academy every day and they believe it puts children at risk.

A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office cruiser was sitting across the street from the school on Tuesday night and they told Action News Jax reporter Michael Yoshida that it's part of a larger traffic function. But JSO now has our video and said they're looking in the safety concerns buses are causing when they leave that school.

“I think it’s a danger zone,” said a parent named Sara.

The exclusive video from Sky Action News Jax, the only news helicopter in Jacksonville, shows a school bus stopped right in the middle of Beach Boulevard, blocking traffic so other buses can leave River City Science Academy.

“If I was a parent and my child was on that bus, I’d call for the firing of that bus driver,” said Action News Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson.

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Michael Yoshida: “Are they doing anything illegal there? Is that a legal move for a bus?

Jefferson: “No, that’s not an emergency vehicle. They cannot block lanes of traffic for the sake of allowing other buses to come out.”

We went to the school for answers and were told someone would call. We also reached out to the bus company, Student Transportation of America. They said they’re looking into the issue.

Jefferson said this problem can be easily solved if they call JSO and ask for help directing traffic when buses are trying to leave.

“No excuse for this kind of behavior and I hope that the bus driver realizes that they’re jeopardizing the lives of children. There are children on that bus,” Jefferson said.

The school's Executive Director Dr. Dogan Tozoglu said the students’ safety is the No. 1 priority and it will not happen again. He said the bus drivers will go back to normal practice of waiting for traffic before leaving campus.

Tozoglu also said the bus company was notified so they could take further action if needed.

Cox Media Group