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Bus driver’s protective thinking saves children from roadside semi collision

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A Texas bus driver’s protective thinking potentially saved 30 children from serious injury, or even death, by semi truck after their bus broke down last week. 

The incident occurred on October 27th in Loraine, Texas. 

According to Independent Journal Review, Dustin Anders is the superintendent of Loraine Independent School District, but because of a bus driver shortage, he has been driving a bus himself. On this day, Anderson was driving a bus full of 30 students west on Interstate 20 when the bus broke down and lost power. Anderson was able to safely slow down, but was only able to get the bus partially off of the roadway and onto the shoulder before it totally lost power. 

Thinking quickly, Anders then escorted the 30 students off of the bus and to a more secure location away from traffic. Just five minutes after unloading the children from the bus, a semi truck traveling along I-20 was unable to avoid the partially pulled over bus and struck it from behind.

“The 18-wheeler in my opinion didn’t even slow down and just hit it,” Anders said.

Thankfully, the truck driver was uninjured in the incident. Parents are now calling Anders a hero for his smart decision, but he says it’s just part of the job. 

“It was just instinct,” Anders continued. “Getting far away from the bus as possible and we’ll just sit in the grass and wait for somebody … It was a normal afternoon until the bus broke down… My job is to take care of kiddos,” he said. “I’ll do whatever it takes to take care of them.”

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