A Houston driver has been charged with reckless driving after police said he came within inches of striking and possibly killing a 5-year-old girl who was getting off a school bus on her first week of school.

The incident on Aug. 28 in the 2500 block of Westerland Drive was caught on camera by the girl's mother, Josephine Kirk-Taylor, who posted the now viral video on Facebook of her child attempting to cross the street as she was getting home from school two weeks ago.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo at a news conference Wednesday regarding the incident said he saw that video and forwarded it over to the traffic crimes division where an investigation began.

"That young man came within inches or few feet from going away to prison for a long time," Acevedo said.

ON CHRON.COM: 51 Houston drivers caught violating school zone traffic laws during Klein ISD traffic initiative

Julio Coreas, 18, was arrested on Tuesday after investigators worked to identify the man in Kirk-Taylor's video. He was charged with reckless driving, a misdemeanor, Acevedo said.

Reckless driving is punishable by up to six months in jail, said Harris County Assistant District Attorney Sean Teare.

Coreas told police officers he was driving the vehicle that almost hit the 5-year-old, stating that he "saw the bus stopping and I was accelerating and that was my mistake," according to a charging document filed by the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

Coreas said he estimates he was going about 30 to 35 mph when he passed the school bus, court documents show.

In the video, the 5-year-old, who is at the opposite side of the street from her mother, begins to cross the street in front of the school bus she exited, but as she gets closer to other side of the street, a blue Toyota speeds by, missing the girl, as her mom screams in horror. The girl can be seen stopping as the car drives by.

Her action to stop at her mom's reaction is likely what saved her life, Acevedo said.

In her post, Kirk-Taylor said she reached out to Houston police, but didn't receive much help. But then her video went viral, and Acevedo said he forwarded to the appropriate channels.

The chief said the department is looking into the initial response of the incident.

"We fell short on it," he said.

In the 10 days after the start of the school year, Houston police officers cited more than 1,000 drivers who violated traffic laws in school zones, Acevedo said, adding that the action is part of a wider school safety enforcement initiative taken by Houston area law enforcement.

Unmarked vehicles routinely follow school buses to ensure surrounding drivers are following traffic laws, he said.

Police will continue to cite, arrest and prosecute drivers who fail to stop for buses, Acevedo said.

In Texas, it is illegal to pass a stopped school bus and offenders can be fined up to $1,250.

Michelle Iracheta is a digital reporter in Houston. Read her on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | michelle.iracheta@chron.com