Kilmore bus crash: Hero tradie recalls desperate moment he smashed windows to save Assumption College schoolkids trapped in deadly accident
A tradie has been labeled a hero after he rushed to help children escape a horror bus crash that killed the driver.
The bus was carrying 32 students from Assumption College in Kilmore, an hour’s drive north of Melbourne, when it struck a tree off Wandong Road just after 3.30pm on Wednesday.
Carpenter Colby Bartels happened to be driving by at the same time and did not hesitate to stop and come to the aid of the trapped schoolchildren.
He and other good Samaritans were able to quickly break a window to help the terrified children out of the vehicle.
The 65-year-old bus driver died on the spot.
Carpenter Colby Bartels (pictured) is being hailed as a hero after he sprang into action to help 32 Assumption College schoolchildren escape a bus after it crashed
Mr Bartels said he and another man quickly jumped through the broken driver’s side window to assess the damage.
“All the kids were kind of gathered at the back of the bus and the bags were kind of scattered across the aisle,” he told Sunrise on Thursday.
‘We tried to calm everyone down a bit before we smashed the side window to get the kids out.
“You can imagine a few of them were a little shocked and a little scared… The older students did a pretty good job of calming the younger kids down.”
The tradie said they managed to smash one of the side windows and helped the students out one by one using a ladder propped up against the side of the bus.
Bartels’ quick thinking earned him the nickname ‘hero tradie’, which he says he does not agree with.
‘I’m not a hero, I was in the right place at the right time, just like many people who passed by. “We all stopped to help and did the right thing,” he said.
The bus left Wandong Road near Kilmore north of Melbourne just after 3.30pm on Wednesday and struck a tree, killing the driver (pictured)
The school informed parents of the severity of the accident just after 5.30pm on Wednesday and said some students were being treated at the scene for ‘minor injuries’.
“Thankfully, none of the students were seriously injured,” the Facebook post read.
‘The College immediately informed all families and Principal Paul Finneran and other staff traveled to the scene.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those involved in this accident.”
The college thanked emergency services for their “fast and professional response” while promising guidance and support for students and families.