School Bus Driver James Handy Rescues 12 Children from Unresponsive Vehicle in Freezing Temperatures
DAYTON, OH – In a dramatic midday rescue, school bus driver James Handy is being hailed as a hero after he pulled 12 elementary school children from a stalled, unresponsive vehicle that had become trapped on railroad tracks in sub-zero wind chills on Wednesday.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred at approximately 12:15 p.m. near the intersection of North James and East Third streets. Handy, a 17-year veteran driver for Dayton Public Schools, was en route to drop off students at Cleveland Elementary when he observed a minivan straddling the tracks, its driver slumped over the wheel, and smoke billowing from the engine compartment. The vehicle’s doors were locked and the windows were fogged over.
Witnesses reported that Handy immediately stopped his bus, instructed his own passengers to stay seated, and ran to the scene. Using a metal emergency tool from his bus, he shattered the driver’s side window to unlock the door. Inside, he discovered the driver unconscious and the van’s 12 child passengers—ranging in age from 5 to 10—frantically crying and unable to exit through the jammed rear doors.
“The children were terrified, and the cold was seeping in rapidly,” Deputy Sheriff Mark Torres said during a press conference Thursday. “Mr. Handy did not hesitate. He prioritized the children’s safety, working methodically to get them out before the driver could receive medical attention.”
Handy evacuated all 12 children into his warm bus within three minutes. Two minutes later, a CSX freight train passed the crossing at 45 miles per hour, striking the abandoned minivan and dragging it 200 feet down the tracks. The force of the impact shattered the rear window of the bus, but no one was injured.
The 34-year-old minivan driver