Plymouth bus aide credited with saving bus driver

PLYMOUTH, Ind. –

There were some scary moments on a Plymouth school bus Wednesday after a veteran bus driver suffered a medical emergency while driving with kids on board. Now school leaders are crediting a bus aide’s quick reaction for keeping everyone safe.

“My adrenaline and my mother instinct had kicked in,” said Robin McCarthy, “I was just more concerned with everybody’s safety on the bus.”

McCarthy says she’s glad she was on the bus to help when the driver had a medical emergency. The bus was headed along its route and two students were already on board when she noticed the driver’s condition.

“I had to put my foot on the brake to stop the bus completely,” said McCarthy. “I had to grab control of the wheel to make sure the bus didn’t go anywhere as far as off the road, and then I had to reach over him and grab the radio so I could radio transportation to come and help us.”

That radio traffic was the first thing Assistant Director of Transportation Brandon Berger says he heard about the incident.

“So immediately you know it heightens your sense of emotion because you hear something about a bus and emergency services are required,” said Berger.

 “Our transportation department then called 911 and we got assistance there,” said Plymouth Community Schools Superintendent Andy Hartley, who said the driver was taken to the hospital, but is expected to be okay.

 “I am very thankful for the way everything turned out,” said Berger. “Having the aide on the bus was absolutely amazing.”

Now those in the school district say they’re feeling thankful.

“Thankful that we had it that she was there, and certainly thankful for her heroic actions,” said Hartley.

And in turn, he says he’s thankful for a potential tragedy avoided.

“Everybody kept saying when I got back to the school ‘Are you ok?’ I was fine. I just wanted to make sure everybody on the bus was okay, that was my instinct,” said McCarthy.