OHTA.ca

Hello Good People,

Thank you for this forum. I was driving with my Fiance out of my building exit and there was a school bus on the left side of me (so not directly opposite and 10 feet left of me with the lights flashing). I made a right turn since the school bus was not opposite me and on the left side and i dint have to pass it. The cop was in his car on my very far right about 80 meters. After I made my right turn he came towards me in like about 5 seconds and said i passed the school bus which was opposite my building exit.

My Fiance and I explained to him that it was not opposite me and it was to my left and the cop and I went to the same spot to check (but the bus had left by then) and even a few people showed the officer that the bus doesn't stand opposite and a bit to the left. and even the kids told that to the officer that where they climb the bus from is on the left of my drive way and in fact the next bus which came again came and stopped towards the left of my drive way and NOT opposite. I even told the officer that from his angle he might have made an error.

The officer was adamant that the school bus was opposite and asked for my INSURANCE and LICENSE. Which I readily gave and he said I had done an offense of passing the school bus.

He later on came with a ticket and said I am just cautioning you abt the school bus and not giving you a ticket, however I am giving you a ticket for not providing your ownership. I said I have it right here, but sir you never asked for it, I showed him the original ownership. He said I asked for it earlier and you dint hand it in, and my Fiance said you never asked him for the ownership, he gave you the license and insurance, why would he not give you the ownership officer ??? So he replied I did ask you never gave it and be thankful I am letting you go free of the school bus offense just with a caution. If you have a concern you can go to court.

Now I feel that when he saw my Fiance as a witness, the kids and parents supporting me and had no hard case, he gave me a ticket for the ownership which I had and even showed it to him.

Please can someone tell me should I go for early resolution option and will the verbal caution for the school bus he gave me come back to haunt me if I go for trial??? Any advice will be very much appreciated.

God Bless you all thank you.

Getting back to the school bus part of this, even though it seems you are not getting ticketed for passing a school bus with the lights flashing. But I wanted to share something, as a former school bus driver. Although the bus may been on your left, and you were turning right, it's possible that a child may be running towards the bus from ANY direction to catch the school bus. So it's possible you could have crossed paths with a child running to catch the school bus. If a school bus with flashing lights on, picking up or dropping off children is that close to you, best to just stop and wait. Either the school bus driver could report you or a police office could see you driving away from the stopped school bus and jump to conclusions. And it may be hard to explain your way out of it. You got lucky to be let off on the passing of a school bus, but unfortunately you still got another ticket for the missing insurance and license.