Driver rescues nearly 40 children from burning bus
Kristina Behrman of Davenport, Florida, called 911 when she saw smoke coming from the back of the bus as she was driving students to school. She got the students to evacuate the bus just before it burst into flames.

Kristina Behrman of Davenport, Florida, got students to evacuate her bus just before it burst into flames. Photo from WTSP video, taken by a 10 News viewer.
DAVENPORT, Fla. — A school bus driver here was able to safely deboard nearly 40 students from a bus before it burst into flames last week, WTSP reports.
Kristina Behrman was driving the students to school when, shortly after 7 a.m., she saw smoke coming from the back of the bus, she told WTSP. She pulled over and called 911, and said that within minutes, the smoke turned into flames. She got the students to evacuate the bus just before the flames started coming out of the back of the bus, she added.
Sgt. Mary Godino of the Florida Highway Patrol told WTSP Behrman did exactly what she was trained to do by pulling over the bus when she spotted a hazard and taking care of the situation, and that she was “instrumental in saving all those children.”
While many are hailing Behrman as a hero, she told WTSP that she “didn't do anything any other, I hope, bus driver or teacher would[n't] do. We go to work every day and we're there to educate and protect.”
Watch video of the incident taken by a 10 News viewer, provided online by WTSP, below. To read the full story, go here.
More Safety

The Driver Shortage Playbook
Driver shortages are still a major challenge for student transportation fleets, but the real issue has shifted. It’s no longer just about filling seats quickly. It’s about finding safe, reliable drivers who meet performance expectations and want to stay. The Driver Shortage Playbook covers why traditional recruitment tactics are falling short and how school fleets are adapting with smarter hiring, stronger retention strategies and a greater focus on driver quality.
Read More →
Pro-Vision Launches AI-Powered 360° Camera System
The new Birdseye camera delivers real-time AI-based pedestrian and vehicle detections, full visibility around the bus, and telematics integrations.
Read More →
N.Y. & N.J. Coalitions Call for Modernized Transportation for Vulnerable Students
New statewide coalitions in New York and New Jersey are urging lawmakers to expand student transportation options for vulnerable students amid ongoing driver shortages.
Read More →
America Has a School Bus Passing Problem — and Distraction Is Making It Worse
Illegal school bus passing remains a major safety threat as distracted driving rises. This op-ed explores why awareness, enforcement, and stop-arm cameras matter more than ever.
Read More →
School Bus Laws to Watch: New York Delays EV Mandate
Plus, federal lawmakers seek new funding for school bus safety as states weigh stop-arm enforcement, disability protections, and education spending.
Read More →
The Essential Handbook for Safe Alternative Student Transportation
Your district's "exception riders" — students with IEPs, those experiencing homelessness, foster care youth — deserve more than a middleman solution. This handbook breaks down exactly what to look for in a supplemental transportation partner: from driver vetting and regulatory compliance to proactive safety technology. Because getting a ride isn't the same as getting a safe one.
Read More →
Operation STEER Brings Emergency Response Training to North Texas
Prosper ISD hosted the third annual training for transportation professionals across 67 districts to learn how to respond to emergencies, such as rollovers and evacuations, and proper use of safety equipment.
Read More →
Florida District Relaunches BusPatrol School Bus Camera Program With New Safeguards
After being suspended over due process concerns, Miami-Dade schools and law enforcement are restarting the AI-powered stop-arm camera program with new oversight.
Read More →
School Bus Laws To Watch: Seat Belt Bills, Funding Fights & EV Changes
From national bills on seat belts and driver oversight to driver awareness campaigns referencing “Finn’s Rule” and ongoing transportation funding debates in Alaska, here’s the latest in school bus legislation across the U.S.
Read More →
9-Year-Old Boy Killed by School Bus at Busy Brooklyn Intersection
A Williamsburg community is mourning after a child was fatally struck by a private yeshiva bus, prompting calls for urgent safety improvements at the high-traffic crossing.
Read More →
