LEE COUNTY, Florida — A school morning. A yellow bus. A 14-year-old girl stepping out to board it.
And then a car that didn’t stop.
Newly released video shows the moment Abby Masters was struck while trying to board her school bus in Florida. The footage is difficult to watch — and it is sparking an urgent conversation about a danger that plays out on American roads millions of times every year.
A Family Already Carrying Unbearable Pain
For the Masters family, this was not just a traffic incident. It was a crisis that hit at the worst possible moment.
Abby’s accident happened just seven weeks after the family lost her father.
They were still grieving. Still trying to hold it together. And then came the call that their granddaughter had been hit by a car on the way to school.
“You’re not more important. Your job isn’t more important. Nobody is more important than that innocent student trying to get to school,” said Lori Masters, Abby’s grandmother.
Abby survived. Her family calls it a miracle — and they are holding on to it tightly.
The Numbers Behind the Danger
This is not a rare problem. It is an epidemic hiding in plain sight.
The Governors Highway Safety Association estimates that drivers illegally pass school buses between 39 million and 43 million times every year across the United States.
Let that number sink in.
In Lee County alone — just one county in one state — more than 25,000 drivers were caught illegally passing school buses in a span of only five months.
Every one of those passes is a child at risk.
What the Law Says — and Why It Is Not Enough
Laws around school bus passing vary by state, but in most places it carries serious consequences — from traffic fines to criminal charges, depending on the outcome.
Still, the numbers make it clear: the law alone is not stopping drivers.
The Masters family says it should not take a tragedy to make people pay attention.
Abby is healing. But her grandmother is not letting this moment fade quietly.
She wants every driver — every single one — to pause the next time they see those flashing red lights and a stop arm swinging out.
Because on the other side of that door is a kid. Someone’s child. Someone’s grandchild.
What Parents and Communities Can Do
School bus safety starts before children ever step outside.
Talk to your kids about waiting until the bus fully stops and the driver signals before stepping off the curb. Remind them to make eye contact with approaching drivers before crossing.
And if you see a driver pass a stopped bus — report it. Many school districts now have cameras on buses specifically for this reason.
The Masters family went through something no family should ever face. They are speaking up so yours does not have to.
Have you ever witnessed a driver pass a stopped school bus? Share what happened in the comments — stories like these save lives.
