A bus driver from upstate New York is being hailed a hero after she clasped a boy's hoodie to prevent him from exiting her bus, just as a reckless car zoomed by. Video of Samantha Call's quick-thinking save has gone viral and proves why you should never pass a bus when its red lights are flashing.
In a matter of seconds, Call rescued a student who could have been fatally hit by a passing vehicle.
In a video published on the Norwich City School District's Facebook page, it shows the exact moment that tragedy was avoided. Call was driving her bus full of students about 10:45 a.m. April 26. Just as she was about to release one student, 13-year-old Matthew Squires, from the bus, a passing car zoomed by — ignoring the bus's lights and arm meant to halt traffic.
Call quickly grabbed onto the back of the student's sweatshirt. The passing car sped by and another female passenger on the bus commendesd the driver for making the life-saving move.
"That was a good grab!” she said. Call also honked her horn at the car who ignored her, after saving the boy's life.
"The last thing I remember was getting yanked back and the car flying by," Squires told WNEP*.*
"Here comes a silver car on the side. Matt is probably the third step down now and all I could think of was Matt is going to get hurt, so I just pull him," Call added.
Video of the heart-stopping moment has gone viral, as thousands of people online have watched Call save the day.
The video has been shared more than 11,000 times and has more than 3,500 likes. But what really resonates is how the student's life was at risk all because a selfish driver failed to pay attention — or deliberately decided to ignore the bus.
"This is exactly why you should NEVER pass a school bus when the stop arm is out and the red lights are flashing!" a caption to the video reads. "The six-year NCSD driver stop(ed) a student just short of disaster, grabbing the boy from behind as a car whizzes by the open school bus doors."
William Loomis, transportation supervisor for the school district, told New York Upstate that there was a reason why they felt releasing the footage was so crucial. "We want to bring awareness," Loomis said.
"All of our drivers undergo continuous training so they're prepared to handle situations like this," he continued in the caption of the video posted online. "We hope this video helps everyone to realize the dangers of passing a stopped school bus."
Now, Call's community is calling her a hero and the boy's parents are praising the woman who saved their son's life.
Loomis spoke publicly of his praise for Call and her quick thinking. “She did amazing. She prevented a tragedy," he said. “I told her, ‘that young boy went home this morning because of you.’”
And Loomis shared that he even showed the video of the incident to the boy's parents, who were deeply affected by the thought their son might have been hit. "They were very emotional,” Loomis described. “It was very alarming for them to see how close this was to being a tragedy. And they were very thankful for the bus driver.”
"I cried. I honestly cried," Squire's mother, Christina Beardsley, told WNEP. "If she hadn't had been so vigilant and looking behind her bus because no one really thinks of someone coming on the door side of the bus."
"It's a big yellow school bus. Its light are on. Its doors are opening. The stop sign is out. I mean, you are supposed to stop for the bus," she continued. "I'm just really grateful that she has quick reflexes and she was able to grab him in time."
And Call said she was hoping the video will raise awareness to other drivers who don't want to obey the law. "It's got to get out there. it's got to stop. People have to pay attention this," she said.
Call shudders to think what would have happened if she hadn't reached out in time.
"I'm so glad I was able to send him home to his mom 'cause I don't know if I could have gotten back on that bus had I not been able to. I don't think I could ever touch a school bus again," she said.
Loomis told New York Upstate that he reported the incident to the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office, but as of now the driver of the passing vehicle has not been located.
