A Nova Scotia bus driver is being praised for his quick action after a semi-trailer crashed through the guardrail of an overpass on a busy highway and landed on the road below just metres in front of the school bus.
“I think this is a miracle and I think we really have to thank the bus driver for his attention to detail in those moments,” said Matthew Baird, whose stepsons, both students at Rocky Lake Junior High, were riding the bus on Highway 102 near Bedford, NS, Thursday afternoon.
Baird said he spoke to the bus driver.
“He mentioned that he was afraid that if he turned the wheels too quickly while braking, the bus might tip over. So he avoided a disaster,” Baird said.
Baird’s stepsons sent him photos immediately after the crash.
The RCMP said no injuries were reported in the accident. (Talk Bedford/Facebook)
“It looked like something out of a movie set… I see something damaged in front of the bus. And then I scroll to the next page and see that the guardrail of this overpass is completely missing and that a huge truck had come off the overpass. At this point, I wasn’t sure where it had landed. Apparently about a foot in front of the bus,” he said.
When his stepsons returned home, they told Baird how the bus driver had calmed everyone down.
“They knew something was happening because the bus braked pretty hard. Then they saw something fly off the highway. They were just speechless,” Baird said.
Plans in the works to thank drivers
The Halifax Regional Centre for Education said plans are currently underway to formally thank the driver, with details expected to be announced next week.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is still investigating but says there is no evidence that the driver of the semi-trailer committed a crime.
Baird says his stepson took this photo from the school bus Thursday afternoon. (Submitted by Matthew Baird)
In an email, the Nova Scotia Department of Public Works said the Highway 101 overpass and railing were inspected following the accident and a temporary barrier was installed.
“The temporary barrier will remain in place while installation of the new bridge railing begins,” it said.
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