School Bus Stops Changing in Wake of Girl's Death

Morrisville, N.C. — Three weeks after a 12-year-old girl was killed trying to catch her school bus, Wake County school administrators have decided to move several bus stops in Morrisville.

The school district's transportation department is moving seven bus stops affecting nine bus routes, beginning Thursday morning. Families of the 97 students affected by the changes will be notified by letter, officials said.

The bus stops are being moved from Morrisville-Carpenter Road between N.C. Highway 54 and Davis Drive into nearby subdivisions.

These are the bus stops affected by the change:

Morrisville-Carpenter and Gratiot
Morrisville-Carpenter and Kudrow
Morrisville-Carpenter and Misty Grove
Morrisville-Carpenter and Old Savannah
Morrisville-Carpenter and Leafy Creek
Morrisville-Carpenter and Madres
Morrisville-Carpenter and Bergeman

The buses that are affected by the change are as follows:

127- Route 1 at Morrisville Elementary
165- Route 1 at Cary High
204- Route 8 at Martin Middle
840- Route 1 at Cedar Fork Elementary
895- Route 6 at Panther Creek High
1027 –Route 24 at Lufkin Middle
1147 – Route 30 at Enloe/Ligon Magnet
1231 – Route 7 at West Cary Middle
1231 - Route 14 at Green Hope High

Officials said the change will increase traffic in some neighborhoods and could lead to longer routes.

Anusha Vasudeva was hit by a minivan on April 9 as she ran across Morrisville-Carpenter Road to her school bus near the Ridgemont subdivision.

After the accident, neighborhood parents collected hundreds of names on petitions to ask that local bus stops be moved to side streets. The Morrisville Town Council also asked school district officials to move the stops.

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Latest Comments

Thank you BOE for changing the bus stops and realizing that safety should always be a #1 priority. Yes, accidents can happen anywhere, but we need to minimize the risks. A bus stop on a 45 MPH undivided road is no place for our children! To state an analogy, there are laws to protect us while driving (seat belts and car seats) and accidents still happen. However, most generally the injuries are not life threatening. This is why safety should always come first! I sadly regret that the WCPSS DOT did not listen 4 1/2 years ago.

Peace89
May 4, 2007 2:03 p.m.

The bus driver had nothing to do with the accident. The ice in Alaska had nothing to do with it either. The BOE is not at fault. Any bus stop is dangerous. The child ran out in the road without looking! It was a tragic accident. It can happen anytime anywhere if the child is not taught safety at home. Dont wait for others and do nothing when you can teach your own child safety. The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own elbow.

superman
May 3, 2007 2:39 p.m.

Thanks Voice of Reason 23, I'll let it rest. I would disagree slightly that people aren't interested in this discussion because their posts are filled with comments about who should have done what, who is to blame, who should be criminally charged, etc. all of which pre-supposes that this matters in some way. In another attempt to answer my initial question, a friend of mine (who saw these posts and called me) is adamant that this situation matters because according to the Bible (1) people were created by God and in his image and that (2) since God loves people enough to allow his son Jesus to die for them they must therefore be of worth. So, I guess I have two ideas at this time in response to my question. Thanks

lampagenda
May 3, 2007 12:42 p.m.

TO: poohperson2000 I guess you missed my point: i.e. blaming the government or someone else for your mistakes versus having the character, honor, honesty and courage to take personal responsibility for your own behavior or decisions. Especially when it involves your own children, for whom you should be responsible. I can not respect people who go running to lawyers or the government every time something like this happens.

WXYZ
May 3, 2007 12:22 p.m.

lampagenda - I was giving you a possible evolutionary basis for basic caring about others to whom you aren't related. Obviously our minds and society is far more complex with that. I'm pretty certian that no one else is really interested in this discussion here, nor is there really space to cary out such a lengthy discussion, so I can only recommend that you go get a good book on evolution and psychology if you are interested in this. We aren't going to prove/disprove the Theory of Evolution on the WRAL message board for this article.