By Joey McWilliams
BRYAN COUNTY – Silo Public Schools held a ceremony on Wednesday to honor students for their quick thinking and actions in a time of crisis.
Five students rose to the occasion last week in the aftermath of a collision when a truck hit a school bus on which they were riding. The students acts were described as ‘heroic’ as they maintained their senses and took care of younger schoolmates who were scared during the event.
Joey Gastineau, the Transportation Director for Silo Schools, was the driver of the bus involved in the accident last Tuesday.
“It was just a normal day,” Gastineau said. “Up to that point.
“We were sitting at a stop sign waiting at Highway 70 for traffic to go by. I glanced up and out of nowhere I saw the front of this pickup. And the next thing I know, I’m waking up. I’m sitting on the ground and (people are) saying that they were taking me by ambulance to the hospital.”
Gastineau said the five students were proactive and took charge in the situation to lead the way in evacuating the bus and caring for younger bus riders and their well-being.
Silo students Brooklyn Snow, Summer Christopher, Anthony Christopher, Tegan Motley and Hunter Garrison were recognized before their classmates as the high school and middle school students at Silo. The five didn’t know that there was going to be an assembly for them prior to the gathering and it came as a pleasant surprise to each of them.
After the assembly they spoke about just doing what needed to be done.
“We looked up and Joey was unconscious, so we just kind of took action,” Summer Christopher said. “I realized that I had to call 9-1-1 and that we had to get everyone off the bus to a safe place because we didn’t know what was going to happen.”
Snow said the younger kids on the bus were struggling.
“They were very scared,” Snow said. “They were crying and we were just trying to make sure they were OK.”
The students were seventh, eighth and ninth graders.
Gastineau said that with the cameras on the bus that recorded the event he was able to see what happened and reflected on the way the students handled themselves.
“It was very impressive, you know, at their age. Most of the time, they’re not really paying attention, you think, to the drills that we do. We have to do them twice a year and these students did a very good job.
“It’s very good knowing that the things that we do here and the drills that we do – they do listen, even though they don’t act like. They roll their eyes when they’re having to get on the bus and do the drills. But they’re very good students. They’re very good kids and human beings in general.
“I’m very proud of them and proud is not even the biggest word that I think I should use.”
In recognition of their actions, First United Bank is giving the students Community Hero certificates and the United Way is giving $250 to the school on their behalf.
