An Ohio school bus driver is being credited with saving a young boy’s life.
Footage posted to the Facebook page of Tecumseh Local Schools in New Carlisle, 20 miles northeast of Dayton, shows driver April Wise’s heroic actions on Thursday.
She checked her mirror as the student was going down the steps and quickly jumped into action when she noticed a car that didn’t stop.
“Whoa, wait, wait, no! No! Stay! Stay!” Wise yells as she grabs the student by the backpack and yanks him back.
Moments later, an SUV flies into the frame, coming to a stop next to the bus.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
The district put out the following statement with the video:
We are feeling very grateful this evening for the alertness and quick actions of one of our amazing bus drivers. The video shows a car passing on the right as the bus was stopping to drop off a student. We did seek permission from the student’s parent prior to sharing in order to spread bus safety awareness and celebrate the driver’s actions. This is a reminder, please be cognizant of our buses on the road and never pass them.Today our HERO drove a big, yellow school bus!Please share to raise awareness for bus safety.
Karen Lokai, Tecumseh Schools Transportation Supervisor, told the local media the video gave her chills.
“If he would have just got off the bus a little quicker or something, everything might have been different,” Lokai told WHIO TV.
Superintendent Paula Crew warned that incidents like this happen almost on a daily basis, where cars pass school buses, a violation that results in a mandatory court appearance and up to a $500 fine, as well as possible license suspension, according to police.
“The mom reached out to us personally to thank us and thank our team for responding to the accident [and] to thank the bus driver. She’s beyond [thankful that] her son got off the bus and came in the house when he did,” Crew told WHIO.
“It’s a miracle that he’s safe,” Clark County Sheriff’s Office Deputy John Loney told the outlet.
The district is set to honor Wise on Monday.
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Caleb Parke is the SMG managing editor. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and connect with him at calebparke.com.
