Florida Bus Driver Uses Bus to Protect Hit-and-Run Victim from Oncoming Traffic

A school bus driver in Austin, Florida ended his day on the job last week by saving the life of a hit-and-run victim.

Stacy Hatcher had just brought the Eustis High School band members back to their campus from a field trip when she found Abigail Stevens lying in the road at the intersection of Lakeview Avenue and Morin Drive.

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Hatcher told News 6 WKM that she found Stevens after traveling to the bus station on a different route than she normally would have taken. Although she immediately called 911 to report “a body lying in the road,” Hetcher told the team that she initially believed it was a prank.

“I thought it was a Halloween prank, you know, that someone would do to put someone on the road to kind of scare someone, which kind of scared me,” she said. “So when I saw her, I immediately put my bus in Park and I turned on the lights and what let me know it was a real body — I saw blood running down the side of the road where she was laying and I immediately called 911.”

The Eustis Police Department confirmed in a press release posted on Facebook that the incident occurred on the night of Oct. 23 at approximately 9:03 p.m. The post included a photo of a vehicle suspected of being involved in the incident.

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Its description states that “the vehicle involved is said to be an older model white passenger car, with black body molding over the front/rear passenger door and little or no tinted windows.”

PEOPLE has reached out to the Eustis Police Department for comment.

Eustis Police Department Press Release.

Eustis Police Department/ Facebook

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Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri told News 6 WKM that authorities do not have a description of the suspect. He also praised Hatcher for using a school bus to block Stevens from possible oncoming traffic.

“She was definitely in the right place at the right time and saved a human life that day. She is a hero and should be recognized as such,” he said.

Lake County School District honors Stacey Hatcher on Facebook.

Lake County Schools

The Lake County School District also praised Hatcher. The district shared a link to Inside Lake’s story of the incident on Facebook with the caption: “Bus driver Stacey Hatcher used her school bus to shield a hit-and-run victim from oncoming traffic in Eustis Monday night, possibly saving a person’s life.”

The post included a photo of Hatcher standing next to a school bus and the text “Hero bus driver.”

“Thank you for your thoughtful actions in protecting the victim from oncoming traffic,” reads the message on the photo. “We appreciate you.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education