Dakota County Bus Stop Arm Violation Complaint Filed
EUREKA TOWNSHIP, MINNESOTA - According to a probable cause statement filed in Dakota County, a criminal complaint has been issued against 20-year-old Drew Glen Seurer in connection with a school bus stop arm violation in Eureka Township.
On April 28, 2025, a sheriff’s deputy responded after a report that a silver sedan allegedly drove past a school bus as a child was boarding. A witness reported she was waiting with her son when the bus stopped and extended its stop arm. As her son got on, a silver car passed by. The school bus driver told investigators she had activated her amber lights 300 feet prior, then deployed the stop arm as the child approached. She said a silver sedan passed the bus even as the child was just a few feet away.
Deputies identified the vehicle as belonging to Seurer, who allegedly admitted to driving and said he thought it was still legal to pass during amber lights, but realized too late when the red lights began flashing. Bus camera footage reportedly shows the sedan pulling around the bus as the stop arm extended and the red lights activated, while the child was on the shoulder entering the bus.
Prosecutors have charged Seurer with gross misdemeanor School Bus Stop Arm Violation (Child Present), which comes with the possibility of a 0-1 year sentence or fines of $900-$3,000.
Note: This is only a criminal complaint. Charges are not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Reminder: Minnesota School Bus Safety Laws
As students begin returning to school, drivers are reminded of Minnesota’s laws regarding school buses:
Amber flashing lights: These are a warning that the bus is preparing to stop. Drivers should slow down and be prepared to stop.
Red flashing lights and extended stop arm: All motorists must stop at least 20 feet away from the bus when approaching from either direction. Passing at this time is illegal.
When on a divided roadway: Vehicles traveling in the opposite direction are not required to stop if the road is divided by a physical barrier (such as a median or concrete divider).
Penalties: Failing to stop for a school bus with its stop arm extended is a misdemeanor offense. If a child is present, penalties are more severe, with possible fines of over $500, driver’s license suspension, and even jail time.
Authorities stress that these rules are in place to protect children who are boarding or exiting school buses, often in situations where their visibility may be limited.
Several school buses across the state of Minnesota now have cameras built into the stop arm as part of a $14.7 million project that the Minnesota state legislator that was passed for 2022 and 2023, which will be used by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety to reimburse school districts and transportation companies for purchasing and installing these cameras and their software onto the buses. According to law enforcement, across Minnesota from 2017 to 2021, 4,652 drivers were cited for stop-arm violations, with Minnesota School Bus Drivers reporting 1,003 stop-arm violations in 2022 according to a survey from the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services that was conducted annually about illegal passing.
Below is a video from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety with some reminders on school bus safety.
Written by: Limitless Media
