Twiggs County Family Says Kids Have To Travel On Dangerous Highway to Get to Bus Stop

DRY BRANCH, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) - A Twiggs County family is concerned about their kids safety after recent changes in their kids bus stop location.

Cars and trucks fly down Highway 80 in Twiggs County everyday, but after an incident that happened with a school bus last Thursday, Dianna Hester has to worry about her kids dodging drivers.

"The truck stopped behind the school bus and then decided he wanted to go around the school bus and not wait for my children to get off the school bus," says Dianna Hester.

She says the truck swerved around the bus that was topped in the middle of the road. The driver blew his horn and sped off. On Wednesday her father-in-law, Sammy Hester, got a call from Twiggs County Schools Director of Transportation, James Beasley.

"Instead of handling it the proper way of getting the trucks to slow down they just decided not to drop the kids off at the end of the driveway anymore," says Sammy Hester.

Now, the kids will be dropped off a half a mile down the road on the corner of Highway 80 and Riggins Mill Road.

41 NBC's Ashley Minelli stopped by the Twiggs County Board of Education. She was told the interim superintendent, Benjamin Roundtree, and Mr. Beasley wouldn't see her in person. Their response was quote, "It was a safety issues and they dealt with it already."

It's about 2 miles round trip to for Dianna Hester to get to and from the bus stop. She says that means her gas bill will double each month, and right now it's money she just doesn't have.

"I don't really have the transportation to be able to go up there both times in the morning and afternoon to go pick up my kids," says Dianna.

Sammy says it's too risky to send his grand kids on foot.

"There's no sidewalks to walk on, there's high grass, and it's a danger for them to walk up the side of a highway."

There's not much else law enforcement can do. Twiggs County Chief Deputy Billy Boney says they've sent deputies out to the area to catch speeders above the 55 mile per hour limit.

"We've done all we can to help curb that problem with those speeding vehicles up there," says Boney.

Sammy wants the speed limit lowered, and he wants the school system to find a better solution for his family.

"I don't think were getting any thing solved by the school just saying we're not going to pick up your kids and drop off your kids anymore."

In addition to Beasley, Sammy says he's reached out to Twiggs County School Board Member Shirley Stokes, Twiggs County Commissioner, Catherine Epps, and the Georgia Department of Transportation. He's been told by Stokes that she's going to help get their situation resolved. Stokes and Epps did not return 41NBC's phone calls.