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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State Rep.
Josh Shapiro |
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Shapiro calls on PennDOT to make all accident information available
to school districts when hiring bus drivers
ABINGTON, March 12 – State Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery, today sent a letter to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Allen D. Biehler calling on the agency to make all accident information available to school districts prior to hiring school bus drivers.
Shapiro’s call comes in response to the Feb. 17 accident where Frederick Poust III, a school bus driver for the Perkiomen Valley School District, struck and killed a driver while operating his school bus. Poust obtained a Commercial Driver’s License notwithstanding the fact that he had been involved in another fatal accident in 1999 where, distracted by his hand-held cell phone, Poust drove through a stop sign and into an oncoming car, killing 2-year-old Morgan Lee Pena.
"It is my belief that all available information related to a school bus driver applicant’s driver history ought to be made available to the school district prior to the assessment of his or her application," wrote Shapiro in his letter to Biehler.
"Unfortunately, the school district was not provided all the details from the 1999 accident because it did not appear on his driver record," said Shapiro. "I’ve called on PennDOT to change their regulations so that the details on any accident or incident are available to school districts prior to the hiring of any bus driver."
The Feb. 17 accident is now under investigation by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and the Pennsylvania State Police.
The House Transportation Committee scheduled a hearing for 10 a.m. to noon Monday, March 15 in Room G-50 of the Irvis Office Building in the Capitol Complex for the purpose of receiving testimony concerning the licensing of school bus drivers.
Shapiro represents the 153rd Legislative District in Montgomery County. For more information, visit www.pahouse.com/Shapiro.
