Pickup Passes Stopped Bus, Hits Child in St. Tammany

Mario Avila, a 19-year-old Covington-area man, was arrested Tuesday (August 26, 2025) after he passed a stopped school bus while it was unloading children on Monday (August 25, 2025). The truck was passing a stopped school bus that afternoon while it was unloading children at the intersection of Hector Street and Montaigne Street in the Tall Timbers Subdivision near Mandeville. While the pickup was passing the bus, one of the children was hit by the passing truck while attempting to cross in front of the stopped bus to get to her house. Luckily the child sustained only very minor marks on her arm. The bus’s stop sign and flashing lights were activated at the time.

The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office posted photos on Monday (August 25, 2025) afternoon on social media asking for the public’s help in identifying the driver of a pickup truck. Thanks to tips coming in, deputies with the STPSO Traffic Division were able to identify the driver as Avila.

Avila was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center on the charges of Hit and Run, Reckless Operation, Driving Under Suspension with Prior DWI, and Overtaking a School Bus. 

Sheriff Randy Smith wants to remind drivers of the dangers of passing stopped school buses. “Thankfully this child was not seriously injured but this could’ve ended in tragedy,” Sheriff Smith said. “When a driver ignores a stopped school bus, they’re not just breaking the law - they’re risking a child’s life. We urge everyone to slow down, pay attention and remember flashing red lights mean stop. No appointment, no destination, is worth a child’s safety.”