Hero Driver in GSP School Bus Fire: ‘These Are My Kids, Too’

Take a close look at the photos of that burning bus.

No one could see those pictures and not think about what could have happened Wednesday afternoon when something caused a school bus carrying ten students home to Sea Isle City after a day at Ocean City Intermediate School to explode into flames on the Garden State Parkway.

Bus Driver Says, 'These Are My Kids, Too"

Think about how much responsibility we put into the hands of a school bus driver each day.

We allow a stranger to take our most precious loved ones away on a vehicle we know nothing about and put faith in them to deal with whatever situation they may encounter or distractions they may face while driving that bus, to deliver our kids safely to school and home again day after day.

It's still too early to know all the details about what caused Wednesday's bus fire and what happened in the aftermath. We don't even know the driver's name yet.

But it's becoming clear that the woman driving that Shepherd Transportation School Bus Wednesday was responsible for helping to save the lives of the ten students on board and moving them safely away from the bus where they huddled together waiting for help as the bus burned.

In her letter to the Ocean City Intermediate School family, Principal Michael Mattina commended the driver.

"She was a true hero and showed the utmost care for our students, making sure they were all safe after exiting the bus. As she said while speaking with the New Jersey State Police this afternoon, "These are my kids, too."

We can only ask that every school bus driver has that same attitude.