Girl has to jump back as a truck speeds past her stopped school bus

A nine-year-old Texas girl narrowly avoided being struck by a pickup truck after the driver sped past her stopped school bus while its red lights were flashing and stop arm was extended, forcing the child to jump backward at the last possible moment.

KHOU 11 reporter Brheanna Berry reported on the frightening close call in Chambers County, where video captured the girl preparing to cross FM 563 before suddenly spotting the oncoming truck and retreating to safety.

The incident happened outside the family’s home south of Anahuac, and the footage shows just how quickly an ordinary morning trip to school nearly turned into something far more serious.

Truck Speeds Past The Bus

Berry reported that the school bus was already stopped with its warning lights flashing and its stop arm extended when the girl began moving toward the roadway.

As she started to cross, a pickup truck suddenly passed the bus at speed. The girl saw the vehicle in time and jumped backward, avoiding what appeared to be a collision by only a very small distance.

The child was identified as nine-year-old Lorigan Nelson, whose mother, Angela Nelson, later shared video of the encounter.

Angela told reporters she was stunned by what happened.

“I was in shock,” she said, explaining that the family had not seen the truck approaching before it appeared near the bus. “That truck did fly from nowhere. That is scary.”

The footage is difficult to watch precisely because there is so little time between the girl recognizing the danger and reacting to it. What makes the moment especially troubling is that a stopped school bus with flashing red lights is designed to remove this exact kind of uncertainty for children crossing the road.

Mother Says Daughter Did Not Realize The Danger At First

Berry reported that Lorigan initially did not fully understand how serious the close call had been.

Angela is now urging other parents to remind their children that they should continue checking traffic in both directions even when a school bus has stopped vehicles around them.

According to the additional account provided with the report, Lorigan had done just that. She looked both ways as she had been taught before preparing to walk toward the bus.

A second camera angle from outside the family’s home later provided investigators with an even clearer view of what happened. That video reportedly shows the school bus approaching with its lights already flashing several seconds before the pickup passed it.

Angela submitted that footage to investigators because it could help establish how much time the driver had to recognize the stopped bus and slow down.

That extra view is significant because it moves the incident beyond the split-second perspective seen near the child. It also gives investigators more information about what the driver may have been able to see before reaching the bus.

Sheriff’s Office Investigating

Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne confirmed that investigators identified the driver involved in the incident.

According to Berry’s report, investigators collected additional video and other evidence, and the driver could potentially face charges related to failing to stop for a school bus or reckless driving.

Hawthorne said reckless driving could amount to a Class B misdemeanor.

The matter is expected to be reviewed further, with the case potentially going before a Chambers County grand jury to determine how authorities should proceed.

Angela said the county attorney indicated that investigators planned to gather the available video and supporting evidence before deciding on the next steps.

No final charging decision was described in the report.

Texas Law Requires Drivers To Stop

Berry also used the incident as a reminder of Texas school bus laws.

Drivers are required to stop when a school bus has activated flashing red signal lights, and they are not supposed to pass or overtake the bus while those signals are operating.

Motorists can continue only after the flashing lights stop, the bus driver signals that traffic may proceed, or the bus begins moving again.

The report noted that illegally passing a school bus can lead to a fine of more than $1,200 and could also result in a suspended driver’s license.

Rules like these can sound routine until footage shows why they exist. Children boarding buses are often crossing roads where their view of traffic is limited, and they are relying heavily on drivers to obey the signals that are meant to create a safe space around the bus.

District Looks At Adding Cameras

The close call may also influence how Anahuac Independent School District approaches school bus safety.

Anahuac ISD Superintendent Dr. David Walker said the district does not currently have cameras installed on its buses, but he planned to present information to the school board during its September 28 meeting that could lead to a vote on purchasing a bus along with related camera equipment.

Walker is also looking at longer-term options as the district replaces older buses, including purchasing vehicles that are already equipped to support camera systems.

He has been researching vendors, costs and possible funding sources, including a program that allows certain funds connected to environmental penalties to be directed toward equipment purchases by school districts and other government entities.

For a relatively small piece of equipment, a bus camera can become important evidence when drivers ignore stop signals, particularly in cases where witnesses may only see a vehicle for a few seconds.

Angela said she hopes cameras are eventually added because they could help document offenders, prevent future incidents and protect children.

Educators have often described students aboard school buses as their “most precious cargo,” and the video from FM 563 offered an unusually clear example of why that phrase carries weight.

Lorigan managed to move backward in time. The larger concern now is making sure another child does not have to depend on the same last-second reaction.