Inset: Ashley Parsons (Scott County Detention Center). Background: The black SUV authorities say Parsons was driving when she hit a child near a school bus (Georgetown Police Department).
A Kentucky elementary school student was walking toward a stopped school bus with its “Stop” sign extended when a driver hit the child and drove away, according to authorities.
Ashley Dawn Parsons, 39, has been charged with aggravated DUI, first-degree assault, leaving the scene of an accident or failing to render aid, reckless driving, and passing a loading school bus, according to the Georgetown Police Department and jail records reviewed by Law&Crime. Parsons is being held at the Scott County Detention Center.
The incident happened Thursday around 7:30 a.m. on Valley Forge Court in Georgetown, Kentucky, a city roughly 15 miles north of Lexington.
Police told regional CBS affiliate WKYT that the child was crossing the road to board a school bus that had stopped with its “Stop” arm deployed. Despite the visible warning, Parsons allegedly continued forward in a black SUV, struck the student, and left the scene without stopping to check on the child.
As officers searched for the SUV and its driver, emergency responders took the child to a nearby hospital. The Georgetown Police Department reportedly said the student’s injuries were not life-threatening.
Police said Parsons was identified and found soon after the crash. Investigators appear to have relied on community assistance and footage from a camera on the school bus, and Parsons was arrested later that day.
Scott County Schools told the station the injured child attends Southern Elementary School in Georgetown. In the wake of the crash, police and local residents underscored the importance of cautious driving near school buses, especially during morning pickup times.
“A school bus stop should never be a dangerous place for a child,” Georgetown Police Operations Captain Lewis Crump told WKYT. “It’s extremely important that we pay attention to these school buses; they’re painted yellow for a reason, they have flashing lights on them for a reason, we need to give those kids the time to get on and off and get safely back on the sidewalks or off the road.”
The post Woman blows past school bus ‘Stop’ arm and hits child before driving off as if nothing happened: Police first appeared on Law & Crime.
