OKC school bus driver arrested for reckless driving

An Oklahoma City school bus driver is sitting in jail Friday night after being arrested for speeding, reckless driving and driving with a suspended driver's license.

Friday, October 10th 2008, 3:00 pm

By: News 9


By Colleen Chen, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An Oklahoma City school bus driver is sitting in jail Friday night after being arrested on the job.

Midwest City police said they took 25-year-old Anthony Atchison into custody for reckless driving, including speeding and driving with a suspended license. The arrest came early Friday morning while Atchison was taking kids to school.

Crosswalk signs dot roads nearby Telestar Elementary School, along with the speed limit signs that clearly state 25 miles per hour.

"Speed limits are set in residential areas to go slow for that in mind. There's children walking to school in that area," Midwest City Police Major Sid Porter said.

But just before 8 a.m., Midwest City police said Anthony Atchison came speeding through the intersection of NE 10 Street and Christine Drive with an Oklahoma City Public School bus full of students.

"Radar showed that the bus was going 49 in a 25 mph zone," Major Porter said.

Police said not only was Atchison nearly doubling the speed limit, public safety records show his license is also suspended. Major Porter said this isn't the first time.

Oklahoma City School Bus drivers are required to go through background checks and 20 hours of training, including in the classroom and on the road. Officials are also supposed to check driving records.

"We do that periodically several times a year. We check driving records for our bus drivers," Oklahoma City Public Schools spokeswoman Tierney Cook said. "I wouldn't say he fell through the cracks. There's not a lot I can say regarding that, because it is a human resource issue."

Police said Atchison was caught because of vigilant neighbors complaining about a bus speeding in the area.

The driver was en route to Spencer High School. A nearby supervisor picked up the route after the arrest.

School officials said the incident is still under investigation, and any potential consequences are still being discussed.

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