A routine school-morning pickup in Franklin, Massachusetts, turned frightening this week when a Tesla passed a stopped vehicle and went around a school bus as a student was crossing the road to board.
The incident happened Tuesday morning on Chestnut Street near Griffin Road, in a residential area close to a preschool and swim club. Video recorded from inside the school bus shows the Tesla moving around another vehicle and continuing past the stopped bus while its warning lights and stop sign were active.
Franklin police are now asking residents if they can help identify the driver.
The student, a freshman at Franklin High School, was crossing the street when the vehicle passed. Her father, Kenny Isidoro, was nearby and said his daughter heard the bus horn and managed to move out of the vehicle’s path.
For the family, the few seconds were enough to turn an ordinary morning into a frightening experience.
Isidoro said he immediately realized how close the car had come to his daughter. He has also raised concerns about traffic conditions in the neighborhood, saying vehicles have traveled quickly down the hill and that additional warning signs could make drivers more aware of the school bus stop.
He has asked town officials to consider a 30-mph speed limit in the area and the possible use of a speed radar sign.
Local school bus driver Toni Monaco said motorists passing stopped buses is not an isolated concern. Monaco, who has driven a school bus in Franklin for more than 15 years, said drivers sometimes try to get around buses instead of waiting for students to safely board.
The video was provided to police by Holmes Busing and Franklin Public Schools as authorities work to determine who was driving the Tesla.
Massachusetts law requires drivers approaching a stopped school bus displaying flashing red lights to come to a complete stop and remain stopped until the warning signals are deactivated, except for a limited exception involving divided highways. The law also provides penalties for violations, including fines that increase for repeat offenses.
Massachusetts also allows cities and towns that accept the applicable law to use school-bus violation detection systems to document vehicles that pass a stopped bus when the warning lights are operating.
In this case, police are relying on the available video and information from witnesses to identify the Tesla driver.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or recognizes the vehicle is being asked to contact the Franklin Police Department. Information can be emailed to [email protected].
The investigation remains focused on identifying the driver and determining what happened during the school-bus stop. For parents and school transportation officials, the incident is another reminder of how quickly a routine pickup can become dangerous when motorists fail to give students and buses the space they need.
