A woman drove around a stopped school bus twice as children were boarding it in Coaldale last month while she chased a man through the borough, police say.
Tamaqua police charged Ciarra Moran, 29, of Lansford, with illegally passing a school bus, reckless driving and six other offenses following the alleged Sept. 24 incident.
Police were called to Coaldale around 8 a.m. that day for a report of a reckless driver following another person near Fifth St. and Early Ave.
Before police arrived, witnesses reported Moran pursued the man on multiple roads throughout the borough. Two Kistler Transportation employees who work as bus and van drivers told police Moran passed the No. 13 school bus while it was loading children at the intersection of Fifth and Phillips streets.
The bus driver told police the bus had its red lights flashing and its Stop sign fully extended when Moran passed it from behind. Witnesses report Moran then made a U-turn in the intersection, still pursuing the man, and passed the bus a second time while children were still boarding, police say.
Witnesses also reported seeing Moran trying to cut the man off several times while he was walking was walking Moran swerved in and out of the roadway, according to police.
A mother waiting at the bus stop with her daughter told police she was scared and pulled the girl away from the roadway to shield her from being hit.
An officer found the car following the man on West Ruddle St. and crossing the intersection at Seventh St.. The officer pulled the car over, and it stopped in the roadway in front of St. Luke’s Miners Hospital in Coaldale.
The driver, later identified through a suspended Pennsylvania driver’s license as Moran, immediately jumped out and ran after the man, police say. She did not put the car in park, and the 2009 Hyundai Sonata rolled backward and bumped the front push bar of the police cruiser.
The officer saw Moran continue to pursue the man, and witnesses reported she was attacking him, according to police. As officers took Moran into custody, she continued yelling at the man she was allegedly chasing.
Before towing Moran’s vehicle from the scene, police say they spotted two joint roaches in an open cup holder between the front seats. Moran identified them as such and reportedly told police she’d smoked three days prior.
Moran was taken to the police station for processing. The officer contacted District Court in Tamaqua and learned the judge was on vacation. Moran was released from custody and charges were filed.
Along with the school bus and reckless driving counts, Moran is charged with DUI of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana, harassment, driving with a suspended license, driving without a valid inspection, and careless driving. The DUI and marijuana charges are misdemeanors. The rest are summary offenses.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 28 in Tamaqua.
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