School Bus Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Driver Honored for Saving Student From Truck Passing Her School Bus

Becky Schaffer receives Citrus County (Fla.) School District's "Making a Difference Award" after helping prevent a student from being hit by a truck that illegally passed her bus in April.

Sadiah Thompson
Sadiah ThompsonAssistant Editor
September 16, 2019
Driver Honored for Saving Student From Truck Passing Her School Bus

Citrus County (Fla.) School District presented Becky Schaffer (center) with the district's "Making a Difference Award" after she helped prevent a student from being hit by a truck that illegally passed her bus in April. Photo courtesy Citrus County School District

2 min to read


Citrus County (Fla.) School District presented Becky Schaffer (center) with the district's "Making a Difference Award" after she helped prevent a student from being hit by a truck that illegally passed her bus in April. Photo courtesy Citrus County School District

INVERNESS, Fla. — A school bus driver here was honored for her heroic actions on Tuesday after helping prevent a student from being hit by a truck that illegally passed her bus in April.

The incident, which took place on April 18, was captured on a video surveillance camera on a Citrus County School District bus, according to a post on the district’s Facebook page. The footage reportedly shows the student getting off the bus in the eastbound lanes of State Rd. 44 near South Sunfish Avenue, when the driver, Becky Schaffer, alerts the student to get back on the bus as the truck speeds by. The student, according to the district, was able to hear Schaffer and safely reenter the bus.

Ad Loading...

On Tuesday, Citrus County School District board members and Superintendent Sandra “Sam” Himmel presented Schaffer with the district's "Making a Difference Award" in honor of her quick actions, according to a board meeting video on the district’s website. While presenting the award, Himmel said “I truly believe she saved the life of this student,” and “what a marvelous job she did with her alertness to keep our kids safe.”

The Citrus County School District added in its Facebook post that Schaffer is a “true hero,” and that the district thanks her for her “quick actions in this situation and also the tremendous job you do for our kids each and every day.”

Despite being called a hero, Schaffer told Fox 13 News that she was only doing her job. She added that she hopes this incident will serve as a reminder for motorists to slow down, and that “it’s not worth it to go flying by and take a chance of risking my life, your life, and our kid’s life.”

View the full post from Citrus County School District as well as screenshots of the bus surveillance video, posted on the district’s Facebook page, below.

More Safety

Geotab fleet safety platform showing driver coaching data and video of driving events alongside a Geotab vehicle camera.
Technologyby News/Media ReleaseSeptember 17, 2026

Geotab Expands Fleet Safety Tools With Video Coaching, Risk Insights

New safety and video capabilities aim to help fleet managers assess risk, support drivers, and take targeted action through video coaching, red-light violation detection, and more.

Read More →
School Bus Fleet’s The Route graphic featuring two people alongside the text, “The Secret to Better Bus Driver Training (It’s Not the Curriculum),” sponsored by IC Bus.
Sponsoredby Amanda HuggettSeptember 15, 2026

How to Build a Better School Bus Driver Training Program

Is it time to strengthen your driver training? Here’s how to pick the right talent and improve recruitment, retention, and safety. This video is brought to you by IC Bus.

Read More →
Graphic showing a yellow school bus behind a shattered-glass effect with the text, “Fatal Accident in a Bus Lot & Students Struck Near Bus Stops, Sept. 8–9, 2026.”
Safetyby Staff and News ReportsSeptember 13, 2026

Recent School Bus Accidents Leave 2 Dead, 2 Injured

Four school bus crashes in Florida, Illinois, and Georgia highlight risks in transportation lots, at bus stops, and during student loading and unloading.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
A female school bus driver in bus driver's seat speaking on radio with an inset of female with headphones looking at two monitors and buses in the background
SponsoredSeptember 8, 2026

When Every Second Matters, Clarity Keeps Routes Moving

From routine delays to urgent incidents, strong communication practices help drivers, dispatchers, schools, and families respond with confidence.

Read More →
Firefighters spray water on a smoking Marietta City Schools school bus during a fire response drill.
Safetyby Amanda HuggettSeptember 8, 2026

What Happens When a School Bus Catches Fire — and What Can Help

School bus fires are rare but can be devastating. Learn how advances in fire suppression and asset protection help fleets detect fires earlier, reduce damage, and improve safety.

Read More →
Graphic promoting Geotab’s new fleet investigation tool, featuring a screenshot of the MyGeotab platform showing an incident timeline, vehicle activity, and mapped route data.
Safetyby News/Media ReleaseSeptember 1, 2026

Geotab Launches Tool to Help Fleets Investigate Road Incidents

Geotab Investigations combines telematics data, video, documents, and other evidence to help fleets reconstruct incidents, resolve claims, and determine what happened.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Student-created poster titled “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes” shows a yellow school bus at a crosswalk, students waiting nearby, and school bus safety reminders about stopping, school zones, safe pickup and drop-off, and buckling up.
Safetyby News/Media ReleaseAugust 31, 2026

Texas Sixth Grader Wins 2026 National School Bus Safety Poster Contest

Sai Darshana Yekolu of Moseley Middle School in Prosper, Texas, was named the newest winner for her artwork, bringing the theme of “Safe Rides, Everyday Heroes” to life.

Read More →
Cover of a Pro-Vision whitepaper titled “Doing More With Less: A Transportation Director’s Guide to Managing Safety Budget Uncertainty,” featuring school buses, a school transportation scene, and safety technology imagery.
SponsoredAugust 27, 2026

Doing More With Less: How Transportation Directors Can Prioritize Safety Amid Budget Uncertainty

With diesel prices soaring and nearly one-third of transportation directors expecting budget cuts, maintaining student safety has never been more challenging. Download this guide to learn how leading districts are prioritizing risk, funding critical safety technology, and building stronger budget cases with data.

Read More →
A Gatekeeper Systems camera mounted on the side of a school bus.
Safetyby Staff and News ReportsAugust 26, 2026

Walton County Schools Adds Gatekeeper Stop-Arm Enforcement System

The Florida district will deploy Gatekeeper’s updated Student Protector technology, which now incorporates AI to improve video evidence.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Avigilon camera installation at Hamilton Township School District, New Jersey, with text reading "How to Build a More Secure School Bus Yard."
Safetyby Elora HaynesAugust 25, 2026

How To Build a More Secure School Bus Yard During and After Hours

As thefts and overnight security threats continue, school transportation leaders are combining stronger operational practices with AI-enabled surveillance to better protect buses, facilities, and staff.

Read More →