Copperas Cove Bus Driver Fired After Close Call with Train

A Copperas Cove bus driver has been fired after amateur video showed their bus so close to a passing train that the crossing arm could not fall.

KWTX reports that the driver was attempting to cross at 17th Street Tuesday afternoon when the red warning lights began blinking and the crossing arm began descending. The driver put the bus in reverse, but remained extremely close to the passing train.

A driver in line near the traffic captured video of the bus' proximity to the tracks, which you can see above.

Copperas Cove ISD spokesperson Wendy Sledd said Wednesday that the driver is no longer employed by the school district and has not been cited. There is no indication that the driver was inebriated or otherwise physically or psychologically unfit to be operating the bus.

Sledd said CCISD drivers receive 25 hours of safety training at the beginning of the school year, attend monthly safety meetings, and must undergo a 20-hour certification course.

The school district's bus drivers will undergo a refresher course in rail crossing safety in light of this incident, Sledd said.