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Principal, teacher revive girl struck by school bus

The 5-year-old is hit in front of an elementary school in California when the bus rolls backward down a hill. The school officials find that she has stopped breathing, so they perform CPR, and the girl regains consciousness shortly thereafter.

March 21, 2013
1 min to read


MORENO VALLEY, Calif. — A principal and a special-education teacher are being hailed for their actions to revive a 5-year-old girl after she was struck by a runaway school bus on Monday, The Press-Enterprise reports.

The girl was standing against a railing on a sidewalk at the bottom of a hill, waiting for her parents to pick her up, and the bus was uphill at the top of a school driveway. The driver was on the bus but not behind the wheel, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Box Springs Elementary School Principal Sam Stager saw the bus roll backward, hitting the girl, and by the time he reached her, she was not breathing.

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Stager and special-education teacher Stephanie Brown began performing rescue breathing and chest compressions, and a short time later, the girl regained consciousness, according to The Press-Enterprise.

Moreno Valley Unified School District Superintendent Judy White told the news outlet that Stager’s quick response “may have changed the outcome of the situation,” and she thinks he’s “considered a hero.” For his part, Stager said that Brown is equally responsible for saving the girl’s life.

To read the full story, click here.

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