A Massachusetts Army National Guardsman from Charlton said he is a little uncomfortable with all the attention he’s been getting for recently aiding 22 children and two adults on a school bus that went over a guard rail on Interstate 95, reports the Telegram.
“I don’t want to be glorified in any sort of way,” Capt. David Wilson said. “It was the right thing to do at the time.”
At 12:47 p.m. Jan. 11, a pickup truck struck a school bus that was traveling in the right lane of the highway. The impact caused the bus to veer to the right and roll over the guard rail onto an embankment next to a stone ledge on the southbound side of I-95 near the Waltham-Weston line, according to state police.
“He definitely put himself in danger by going onto the bus,” state Trooper James Ackerly. “Without regard for his own safety, (he) entered the unstable bus and conducted a full sweep to ensure no one was left behind.”
All 22 students from Ephraim Curtis Middle School in Sudbury were examined at area hospitals and released the same day, according to state police. Approximately 10 had suffered minor injuries. The bus driver and adult monitor were also evaluated, state police said.
Last week, state police summoned Scott D. Rossi, 29, of Belmont, to appear in Waltham District Court on the charges of negligent driving, unsafe lane change and failing to use care in passing. Rossi, who was driving a leased 2016 Chevrolet Silverado, crossed multiple lanes, without taking proper precautions to check if there was a vehicle to his right, according to state police.
Wilson said he was the only civilian who ventured into the school bus. When all the kids were off the bus, it was time to tend to the adults, he said.
