An Onamia School District bus driver is being hailed as a hero for dodging a head-on crash with a semitrailer truck and saving many lives, reported Star Tribune.
The incident reportedly occurred on Feb. 5 around 7:15 a.m. in central Minnesota, when a semitrailer truck crossed into the oncoming lane, where the school bus was. The bus driver, identified as 52-year-old Brian Lathrop, was seen via video making a quick maneuver to avoid a complete head-on crash.
Mille Lacs County Sheriff Kyle Burton said the quick maneuver undoubtedly saved many lives. The semi made a “glancing sideswipe” near the bus’s rear passenger side instead of a full head-on crash thanks to the bus driver’s quick actions.
The trucker, 54-year-old David Garrett, told local news reporters that he was under the impression that he hit black ice before losing control of his vehicle. He confirmed this was the first time anything like this incident had happened to him in his 10 years of truck driving.
Onamia Superintendent Jason Vold said via the article that along with the driver, there were three paraprofessionals and four students on board the bus at the time of the incident. Two students among the eight people on board were evaluated for minor injuries.
Vold said the district will be recognizing Lathrop for his heroic actions at the next school board meeting.
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