This is the incredibly courageous moment a heroic one Ohio A police officer rushed into a bus engulfed in flames to rescue children on board.
Bodycam footage shows the highway patrol officer responding to reports of a fatal collision on Nov. 14 that resulted in a four-way car crash and a fire on I-70.
The crash killed three Tuscarawas Valley Schools student band members and three chaperones who accompanied them to a performance.
They were in an SUV in front of the tractor-trailer that caused the accident – which was behind both the bus and the SUV.
Police bodycam footage shows the highway patrol officer responding to reports of a fatal collision on Nov. 14 that resulted in a four-way car crash and a fire on I-70
Video now shows the police car stopping on the highway and the officer jumping out and asking, “Did we get everyone out?”
A bystander shouted, “No! There are children on the bus, but we can’t get to them.’
After grabbing a fire extinguisher from the trunk, the officer fearlessly charged into the burning bus as flames engulfed the back rows.
‘Anybody here? Everyone?’ the officer shouted as several other Samaritans boarded the bus to help.
No one responded and the flames blocked the view to the rear of the bus. The officer demanded a count of the people in the vehicle, but no audible response was given at that time.
The driver of the bus was injured, but still managed to pull the students from the bus.
The hero officer then approached the students who had managed to escape the bus and asked them if anyone needed medical attention.
The officer bravely boarded the bus together with a group of Samaritans, but could not see any passengers due to the flames and thick smoke.
The chain reaction collision is said to have started when the tractor-trailer rear-ended the charter bus carrying the students and the SUV with their chaperones.
Another bodycam captured footage of another soldier arriving on the scene to help.
The officer asked if everyone had managed to escape from the vehicles and panicked bystanders told him there were others trapped on the bus.
A group including the officer and bystanders managed to pull one remaining person to safety from the SUV.
The chain reaction collision is said to have started when the tractor trailer rear-ended the charter bus carrying the students and the SUV carrying the escorts.
A report obtained by FOX 8 suggested the tractor-trailer struck the chaperone SUV, which struck the charter bus and then struck another SUV that was in front of the three vehicles.
The driver of the tractor-trailer was a 60-year-old man from Zanesville, Ohio.
He was given a breath and urine test for alcohol and drugs, which came back negative. He also insisted he was not distracted at the time of the crash.
The crash killed three Tuscarawas Valley Schools student band members and three chaperones, including mother-of-three Kirsty Gaynor, 39, (pictured)
Dave Kennat, 56, (left) and Shannon Wigfield (right) were the other two attendants killed in the fatal crash
The Tusky Valley Band was on its way to Columbus, Ohio, to perform at the Ohio School Board Association Conference when disaster struck.
The three chaperones who died in the tragedy included mother-of-three Kirsty Gaynor, 39, who was described as a frequent band accompanist, a devoted parent and a constant helper to help families in the area.
Another victim was chaperone Dave Kennat, 56, who was described by students as a kind and compassionate teacher who was incredibly enthusiastic about maths.
The third chaperone to die was Shannon Wigfield, 45, who worked as an English arts teacher at the Buckeye Career Center for 24 years. She was adored by colleagues and students for her “loving smile” and “positive attitude.”
John Mosley, 18, was one of three students killed in the collision. The senior drummer was described by classmates as welcoming and funny.
John W. Mosley and Jeffery D. Worrell, both 18, were two of the band members tragically killed in the traffic accident
The youngest victim of the tragic collision is 15-year-old Kaetlyn Owens, a sophomore known for her hard work ethic.
Jeffrey Worrell, 18, was also a senior and a drum player. His friends and family said he was wonderful, outgoing and friendly.
The youngest victim of the tragic collision is 15-year-old Kaetlyn Owens, a sophomore known for her hard work ethic.
No one has been charged in connection with the crash and police continue to investigate the November 14 collision – the investigation is expected to last 12 to 18 months.
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said, “Some vehicles have electronic data recorders on them, which our investigators will be looking at.
‘That hasn’t happened yet. We have that. “We also have some CCTV footage that the State Highway Patrol has collected, which I believe is external CCTV footage, including footage from vehicles that were not involved in the collision.”