New York student moments away from stepping onto school bus before distracted driver smashes into the back

As 17-year-old student Jeremiah Rutkowski approached the waiting school bus, he had no idea his life and the lives of his fellow students on the bus were in imminent danger. 

Footage from the porch camera shows how, in a split second, another vehicle smashed into the back of the parked bus. Debris was thrown from the violent collision, and can be seen flying towards Rutkowski as he quickly backstepped to avoid being hit. In the midst of the chaos, Rutkowski returned to the safety of the porch where he was met by his father, who’d stepped out after hearing the crash from inside.

Matt Rutkowski, Jeremiah’s father, comforts his son with a hug before going to take a closer look at the scene in front of them. “My first priority was to make sure my son was safe and good,” Matt said, as per the New York Post. “Opening that door, I wasn’t sure what would happen, so big sigh of relief. That’s why I instantly gave him a hug.” Comments praised Matt, calling him a good father for embracing his son before all else.

There were 23 students on the bus when the truck ploughed into the back of it. The other vehicle was being driven by 35-year-old Joshua Smith, who was reportedly distracted by his cell phone while following the bus full of school kids a little too closely.

The aftermath

Matt saw that the driver was alert and the schoolkids were beginning to evacuate the bus so he ran back inside to dial 911. Meanwhile, Jeremiah described feeling “paralyzed with shock.” However, the teen was a counselor at the nearby Camp Lookout and pretty soon his instincts kicked in and he sprang into action.

Jeremiah described handling the situation, explaining, “My counselor brain just sort of kicked in, and I automatically just … like, I was fully focused on how everybody felt about the situation.”

Luckily, nobody was killed or seriously hurt in the crash, though four children, two in the pick-up truck and two in the bus, and two adults, the bus driver and the truck driver, were taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries. Smith, the truck driver, was issued several traffic tickets, according to state police.

The close call served as a moment that put life into perspective for Jeremiah Rutkowski and his father, had the teen been standing a little closer he could have been killed by the flying debris. “Things like this make you appreciate what you have,” Matt said, “and how at any moment things can change.”