EXCLUSIVE: School bus sting leads to heavy fines for drivers

KATY, TX (KTRK) -- The Texas Department of Public Safety conducted an operation Friday morning in an effort to catch drivers failing to stop as school buses picked up children.

Eyewitness News received exclusive access to the sting operation, which took place near an apartment complex at the intersection of Fry Road and Younglake Blvd.

Sgt. Stephen Woodard said Katy ISD was worried about students' safety boarding buses in this area because of drivers failing to stop when bus drivers activate flashing lights and stop signs.

"The most dangerous part of a child's educational career is getting on and off the school bus," Sgt. Woodard said.

Eyewitness News cameras were rolling as officers caught five drivers who failed to stop.

One driver was a mother and school district employee.

"I was on the other side of the street and I just completely thought that only the people on the right side should stop," the woman said.

Michael Walker was pulled over as well. He had an infant in the back seat of his car.

"I looked at it, I saw that it was already over there, and I made a mistake," Walker said. "I should have stopped."

Other drivers did not seem to understand the traffic law.

"There's an intervening space in between the two sides and that supposedly gives the other side the option to stop or not," Michael Hosen said. "There's a space in between with flashers, with double lines, so that's what I thought."

In fact, only a left turn lane separates opposing lanes of traffic at this particular intersection. Sgt. Woodard explained drivers still need to stop here.

"If there's not a center median, concrete or grassy median, you need to stop," Woodard said.

Drivers who violate this law can pay up to a $1,250 fine, according to DPS.