Drivers who breeze past school crossing guards in Ohio could soon be doing more than earning dirty looks. State lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it a crime to ignore those bright vests and handheld stop signs, tightening penalties after a string of local cases where guards were hit while helping kids cross the street. Sponsors say the goal is to give police and prosecutors clearer tools to go after reckless drivers in school zones.
What the bill would do
According to the bill text posted by the Ohio General Assembly, the proposal would make it a first-degree misdemeanor to knowingly disobey a lawful order from a school crossing guard while that guard is on duty. It would also outlaw knowingly harassing, threatening or interfering with a crossing guard.
The measure would require courts to double the usual fine for violations that happen during active school-zone hours. It would add points to an offender’s driving record and provide limited civil-immunity protections for guards who are acting within the scope of their duties.
A crossing guard’s near-miss
The push comes in the wake of incidents like the one in Franklin, where a crossing guard was struck while escorting students to school. A News Center 7 I-Team investigation found more than 230 crashes involving crossing guards nationwide over the last decade and reported that the Franklin case left guard Becky Evans with serious, lingering injuries, as reported by the WHIO I-Team.
Evans, who was hit in front of Franklin Junior High this winter, told WHIO, "I can't go out there yet," and said the crash has affected her speech and mobility. The legislative proposal was first reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Legal stakes and supporters
Beyond creating a new misdemeanor, the bill would write crossing-guard violations into several felony provisions. That means a death that is the proximate result of disobeying a crossing guard could be charged as aggravated vehicular homicide, according to the text on the Ohio General Assembly site.
Supporters argue the tougher penalties and mandatory point assessments will make drivers think twice before rushing through school zones and will give prosecutors clearer charges to pursue. The bill was introduced last Tuesday and is sponsored by Reps. Tom Young, Andrea White and Bernard Willis, according to LegiScan.
What happens next
The proposal is still at the introduction stage. It will need to clear a House committee before any vote on the floor. Backers say the real fix will combine sharper legal teeth with straightforward engineering tweaks, from plastic delineators to clearer signage, to cut down on how often crossing guards are put in danger just for doing their jobs.
