CLARKSVILLE, Ind. — Clarksville Community Schools bus driver Michael Cain was dropping his students off after school Tuesday, just as he's done for the past year, when a car crashed into the school bus.
Clarksville Police is now calling Cain a hero for his quick moves when he and nine students were hit.
“As I’m coming to the stop sign, you’re always looking in your mirrors and looking around and looking at the kids, I just happened to look up and thought, 'oh man.' He barely hit the brakes and ran right into the back of us," said Cain, standing right in front of the school bus with a ripped off side panel and dented bumper.
The crash happened in the area of South Clark Boulevard and Stansifer Avenue at a four-way stop. Clarksville Police Chief Nate Walls said the car that ran into the school bus was traveling at higher speeds than it should have when it crashed.
Police said no children or passengers on the school bus were injured, but the driver in the other vehicle has serious injuries.
“I didn’t realize how bad it was until I stepped out and seen how he was up under the bus," Cain said. "You stop and take a breath, check on the kids and make sure everybody's okay."
Cain said when he saw the car coming towards the school bus, he said he moved the bus more forward. The car then crashed into the back of the bus. He immediately jumped into action, making sure the students were unharmed.
Police called Cain a hero and credit his quick instincts to move the bus forward and avoid what could have been a terrible, even fatal crash.
When asked how he felt about being called a hero, Cain humbly laughed and said it felt good to be given that recognition, but said, "I'm not a hero for sure. That was more divine intervention is what that was."
Cain said he took the job over a year ago after he saw a need in Clarksville for more bus drivers, wanting to help the district where he could.
"Just trying to get the kids taken care of," he said.
He said he checked in with the nine students who were on the bus at the time of the crash again Wednesday, making sure they were okay. And the students asked him how he was doing.
“When you take off this morning you do have an extra sense of what can happen," Cain said.
And while he continued on his routes, getting the students safely to and from school, he shared a message with other drivers on the road.
“People nowadays seems like they’re speeding everywhere, trying to get somewhere in a hurry; slow down and get home safe," he said.
Clarksville Police is investigating the crash.
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