School bus driver cited after collision

LAND O'LAKES -- A school bus driver received a careless driving citation Thursday after his empty bus was involved in a minor collision with a car on State Road 54, school officials said.

Mel Chacon was on the way to pick up students at Pine View Middle School about 2:45 p.m. when the rear of the bus apparently made contact with a car, said Jack Greene, the district's superintendent of operations. No one was injured, and the contact was so minimal that the bus driver was not aware there had been an accident and proceeded to run his route, Greene said.

Meanwhile, the driver of the car called the Florida Highway Patrol. School officials then tracked down what buses were in that area and found the driver, who had finished work and gone home. He returned and talked to the trooper, who gave the driver a ticket.

Greene said Chacon, 58, started driving for the district on Sept. 19 and has a clean driving record. His case will be referred to a safety committee that will determine whether disciplinary action is warranted. In the meantime, he will be allowed to keep driving.

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