Teachers prevent driverless, speeding bus from overturning

Bus driver Michael Hacker speeds through a stop sign and makes a late turn, throwing him to the floor and causing the bus to veer into a ditch. Lee Morris, a sign-language interpreter, grabs the wheel and regains control of the bus, while fourth-grade teacher Amy Ryan is able to reach the brake pedal by climbing around Hacker.

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December 31, 2013

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AWENDAW, S.C. — The Post and Courier reports that two Charles Pinckney Elementary School teachers kept the bus they were on with 26 students and their chaperones from turning on its side after driver Michael Hacker sped through a stop sign and made a late turn. As a result, he was thrown to the floor by the momentum and the bus veered into a ditch.

Lee Morris, a sign-language interpreter who works with one of the students on the bus, grabbed the wheel and regained control of the bus, but Hacker's position prevented him from reaching the brake pedal. Fourth-grade teacher Amy Ryan was able to climb around Hacker, sit in the seat and stop the bus.

It's not clear what caused Hacker's behavior, according to The Post and Courier. In a video of the incident, he can reportedly be heard telling students later that the "brakes didn't want to work," and that he was sorry. Hacker received traffic citations for driving too fast for conditions and for not wearing a seat belt. Officials for the company that runs the bus routes for the district told the newspaper that Hacker is no longer its employee.

To read the full story, click here.

Topics:heroism South Carolina Management Safety

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