Driver could face jail, $5,000 fine for passing stopped school bus, officials say

A man who passed a stopped school bus could face up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine under a state law that went into effect earlier this year.

David Harris, 34, is the first person charged in Putnam County under the stiffer penalties, WXIN reported.

The stop arm was extended for about seven seconds. The bus driver had to stop a child from walking off the bus when she noticed Harris approaching in his vehicle.

Harris was cited but not taken into custody. A court hearing is set for November, WXIN reported.

It is unlikely Harris will face the maximum penalty.

"We have enough serious crimes. Are you really going to get your point across by putting somebody in jail?" county prosecutor Tim Bookwalter told WXIN. "But you've got community corrections, you've got probation, you've got your license could be suspended. There's all sorts of tools a judge has in his toolbox."

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