On Dec. 3, I was traveling south on Cumberland Avenue in Hometown. When I reached the stop sign at Lafayette Street (Route 54), a school bus, heading east on Route 54, had just pulled to a stop. I waited at the stop sign, because my intended eastbound travel on Route 54 would have required my passing the stopped bus.

As I sat at the stop sign, a woman in a white car sped past, heading east on Route 54. I was stunned. The bus was already stopped and had its red blinkers flashing and its stop sign extended, the word “Stop” showing in red blinking lights. Speeding past the bus was not only illegal, it was illogical, as the traffic light at Route 309 was red and the woman had to wait anyway. Shortly after the car had flown by the bus, two students came off the bus and crossed Route 54. Had they attempted this a few seconds earlier, they would have died from the impact of the speeding car.

Ironically, the bus pulled away while that driver was still waiting for the red light at Route 309. I am writing this letter so that all drivers, especially the woman whom I saw passing the bus, will realize that this action can kill — possibly more than one student, as in the incident I witnessed.

JoAnn Paslawsky

Tamaqua