Addy's legacy: New safety law enacted in honor of young girl's tragic death

ATLANTA - Addy Pierce was a little girl with a big heart. She loved to help others. Her family said that some good has come from her tragic death through the new law named in her honor. 

"To me, it just felt like victory. It felt like everything I had been fighting for when this happened had finally been accomplished," Alexa Wright said. 

Wright and other family members were on hand as Gov. Brian Kemp signed HB 409 into law on Tuesday. The law is named for the 8-year-old. 

In February, the little girl succumbed to injuries she suffered when she was struck by a passing motorist on Jackson Lake Road in McDonough, while boarding her school bus. 

The bill directs school districts to consider not having bus stops where a student would have to cross the roadway with a speed limit equal to or greater than 40 miles an hour. 

Family members started a petition, following the deadly accident, for the creation of a law that would require school buses to pick children up in their driveways so they wouldn't have to cross the street to board a school bus. 

In February, Addy's mother joined lawmakers at the State Capitol to lobby for the bill's passage. 

"We do understand the logistics around a lot of things with buses and everything, but I think we can figure out some resources or find time to pour into this issue now," Pierce told reporters. 

While the family mourns the death of their precious girl, they find comfort in knowing Addy's law will save lives. 

"It hurts to lose somebody," Wright said, "and if we can prevent other families from losing somebody, then that's good." 

Under the new law, those convicted of passing a stopped school bus now face a $1,000 fine and could spend at least 12 months in jail.