ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A St. Augustine mother told News4Jax that she's upset at people who she says drive erratically near where her children get on and off the school bus.
Jennifer Morris-Cardiff was trying to warn drivers to slow down Wednesday morning and caught a crash on her cellphone's camera.
The three-car crash happened at the intersection of Old Moultrie Road and Hideaway Lake. It appears no one was hurt. The school bus wasn’t involved.
News4Jax is still waiting for more details from the sheriff's office on what happened and to learn if anyone will be charged.
Two parents said they've seen close calls at the intersection, and they want something done about it to keep children in the area safe.
Morris-Cardiff said her children were getting on the bus Wednesday morning and cars were passing right by the bus’ stop sign, just before one car abruptly stopped, causing a chain-reaction crash.
The first driver sped away, leaving the scene of the accident.
Two mothers filmed cellphone video of the crash, and said the crash didn't surprised them.
“It really didn't just for the simple fact people speed through there all the time, not stopping for the bus stop,” Morris-Cardiff said.
She said 10 children from Osceola Elementary School wait at the school bus stop at the intersection every morning.
“It makes me very angry (the way people drive by the bus). That's why I started recording this,” Morris-Cardiff said.
Eileen Martin said the crash frightened her daughter and other children on the bus.
“They were all scared when they heard that car crash,” Martin said. “That could have been kids walking across the street. That's why they're supposed to stop. It's a bus stop.”
Deputies said they are investigating the accident.
They said there have been seven crashes at the intersection of Old Moultrie Road and Hideaway Lake over the past nine years.
Meanwhile, parents want the cellphone video of Wednesday's crash to serve as a wake-up call to drivers to stop for school bus signs and to avoid distractions.
“Every bus stop parent needs to take action. They need to sit there and record to show these cops that something needs to be done about this,” Morris-Cardiff said.
A spokesperson for the sheriff's office said it will be increasing its presence at the intersection.