MENU
SEARCHAccording to the NYPD, Officer Christopher Canale saved a driver and aide in a school bus that was engulfed in flames and smoke after a crash. No children were on board.
According to the NYPD, Officer Christopher Canale saved the driver and aide of this school bus as it was engulfed in flames and smoke after a crash.
NEW YORK — An off-duty police officer saved a school bus driver and an aide from a burning bus on Thursday, authorities said.
According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), Officer Christopher Canale was driving with his family on the Long Island Expressway around 3:30 p.m. when he saw a small school bus and a truck that were involved in an accident.
Police said that the bus was engulfed in flames and smoke when Canale pulled his vehicle to the side of the highway. He pulled the bus door open and saw that the driver was pinned. Canale asked how many occupants were on the bus.
“As a father of two, the first thing that went through my mind was, are there any children on the bus?" Canale recalled.
The driver told the officer that there was only one other person, an aide, on the school bus. Canale yelled to the aide — he said that he couldn't see because of the thick smoke. The aide followed the officer’s voice down the bus aisle, and she safely exited the bus.
Canale then went to the driver’s side door and was able to pull the driver free from the bus.
Canale was praised for his actions by the NYPD and by Riverhead (N.Y.) Central School District, the bus driver and aide's employer.
"The actions of the off-duty police officer who rescued our employees yesterday at great personal risk to himself are selfless and heroic," Riverhead Superintendent Nancy Carney said in a statement to local media on Friday. "On behalf of the entire school district, I cannot thank him enough."
The alternative transportation provider’s 2025 Safety Report highlights 99.7% incident-free rides, 130 million safe miles, and more.
Read More →
Searching for the right equipment, technology, or services for your school transportation program? This industry guide brings together manufacturers and suppliers across the entire school bus market, all in one place. Download it to find the partners who can help move your operation forward.
Read More →
Child Safety Network appointed psychology researcher Michael C. Hout, Ph.D., to lead a study examining why drivers illegally pass stopped school buses.
Read More →
Investigators reported a remote assistance error allowed a Waymo driverless vehicle to illegally pass a stopped school bus in Austin.
Read More →
See how a new 50-state roadmap outlines 69 strategies for districts, law enforcement, and policymakers to reduce the 39 million illegal school bus passings reported each year.
Read More →
Recently, an Iowa student died after falling under a school bus, while 14 Oklahoma students were injured days later when a semi-truck rear-ended their bus.
Read More →
Selecting a fleet technology partner can be complex, especially with evolving operational demands and limited resources. This white paper outlines seven key criteria to help school transportation leaders evaluate options and align technology with their needs. It offers a practical framework to support more informed decision-making.
Read More →
When school bus communication systems fail, the consequences extend far beyond equipment repairs. Downtime can increase safety risks, strain dispatch operations, and erode driver confidence. Explore how proactive radio lifecycle management and managed services are reducing disruptions, supporting driver retention, and delivering predictable budgeting for school transportation fleets.
Read More →
EverDriven has launched a new safety council aimed at standardizing and strengthening student transportation practices across all states it operates in.
Read More →
The OEM's three-week campaign during National School Bus Safety Week has awarded nearly $6,000 to Bryan County Schools to support increasing student safety around the bus.
Read More →
