'Thank God it stopped': N.S. bus driver recognized for averting potential tragedy
CBC
Terrie Brown had just entered Highway 102 near Bedford, N.S., last week and was getting close to the speed limit when he noticed a tractor-trailer crash through the guardrail above on Highway 101.
Brown, who has been a bus driver for nine years, had just left Rocky Lake Junior High with 23 students. He managed to stop the bus in time, dodging what could have been a tragedy.
"I was hard on the brakes trying to get the bus stopped and thank God it stopped," Brown told reporters on Friday.
"I mean, I didn't have any alternatives. It was either go to the concrete median and try to stop the bus that way or to the ditch. I chose to stay on a straight line with the brakes hard."
On Friday, Brown was recognized for that quick action. He was presented with a cheque for $500 and a community hero award by Southland, the school bus company and his employer.
"With your quick reaction time, you were able to get safely home to Joanne [Brown's wife], and those 23 students were able to get safely home to their parents and their guardians," Coady MacNeil, operations manager of Southland, said during the presentation.
"When you saw what was happening in front of you, you made several split-second decisions and were able to go from 100 km/h to zero in six seconds over a distance of 100 metres in a 14-ton school bus, and also had the wherewithal to keep the wheels straight [so the bus wouldn't tip]."
Recalling the crash, Brown said the first thing he did was ask if everyone on the bus was OK. Police told CBC News last week that no one was injured on the bus or truck.
Brown said the students all started looking out the front window once the bus came to a stop.
"They were in shock," he said. "They didn't know what was going on.... By that time, the truck was probably still bouncing around a little bit and the motor, that was still steaming and all that. So they knew right away what happened, that a truck had come down in front of me and I had to stop, and stop immediately."
He said he felt anxious the first day back on the job. He said he enjoys his job and never expected to be recognized for what he did.
He said it will take time to feel back to normal again because "it was quite an ordeal."
"Everybody's calling me a hero," he said. "I don't feel like a hero. I just feel like I've done my job the best I could do it."
David Reed, the principal of Rocky Lake Junior High, said Brown has made the community proud.
A northeastern Ontario potato farmer says he’s shipping more bags of potatoes to southern Ontario to make up for waning demand.
Halifax’s registry of rental properties is now available to the public online, showing what HRM staff believe are the “bulk” of rentals in the city.
A New Brunswick tenant says he’s being pushed out of his rented bungalow as retribution for complaining about his landlord, but his landlord says she’s the victim of an unfair tenancy tribunal ruling that is preventing her from using the unit to house family.
Snow and freezing rain could affect morning commutes on Tuesday, according to a special weather statement issued by Environment Canada.
Daniel Jolivet, 68, had his first taste of freedom this weekend after spending the last 33 years behind bars.
Peguis First Nation is suing former chief Glenn Hudson over allegations he failed to act in the best interest of the band and financially benefitted from breaches of duty — including claims that he enriched himself, his family and supporters.
The Saskatchewan NDP's pace in 2025 has been frenetic.
If you’re ever walking down this east Hamilton neighbourhood during the holiday season, there’s a festive house that just might grab your attention.
It was just a few months ago that U.S. President Donald Trump told the world he doesn’t want Canadian cars.
Flu cases across Canada are on the rise and may push hospitals to their limits over the holidays and into the new year, leading health officials in regions across the country to warn people not to visit emergency rooms unless it's absolutely necessary.
More than 30 years after Canada's military allowed women to serve in combat roles, it's now specifically designing uniforms and body armour to fit their bodies.
The holiday season has arrived in Thunder Bay, and that means reduced hours, or closures, for businesses, city offices, and other amenities.
As Toronto’s food scene continues to grow, some in the industry say the pool of professional chefs hasn’t kept up with demand.