MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A dashboard camera inside a tractor-trailer and videos from inside and outside the school bus show a close call as a truck sped down the road, nearly hitting the stopped bus.
The terrifying scene happened around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in Montville Township, Ohio, as the school bus driver was taking children to Ralph E. Waite Elementary School, WEWS reported.
Montville Township police shared the video, and in the clip taken from the dashboard camera inside the tractor-trailer, the driver can be heard yelling “Stop! No! No!” as the truck gets closer to the back of the school bus without losing speed.
Inside the bus, a video shows a child has just boarded the bus when the truck starts honking its horn. A woman seated inside, who sees what’s happening, says, “Good God, he’s not going to make it!” and clutches her head as the truck speeds past the bus.
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Two vehicles that were stopped in the opposite lane from the bus had minor bumper damage, as the drivers tried to move away from the truck to give it room to get past.
Montville Township Police Chief Matt Neil told WEWS the truck’s driver was able to stop the vehicle about a quarter of a mile down the road. That driver later contacted officers, telling them that his brakes went out while he was driving 40-45 mph, WEWS reported.
“I’m just glad that crisis was averted. This could have been devastating to our community, to the whole county, the whole area,” Neil told WEWS. “He handled everything in a very professional manner. In 15 seconds, he had to make a decision: Where am I putting this 80,000-pound truck?”
An ongoing investigation will determine whether charges will be filed, and what may have caused the brakes to fail, WEWS reported.