HOWARD COUNTY, AR (KFSM) -- A man is being credited for risking his life to potentially save the lives of countless students on their way to school.
On Tuesday morning, Ricky Broach said he was driving his log truck on Highway 70 in Dierks when he saw a school bus filled with kids on their way to class.
Broach said the bus was signaling to turn, and with the distance he was from it, he thought he had plenty of time to coast through.
However, a car stopped in the middle of the road the bus was turning down, so the school bus couldn’t move.
Therefore, Broach had two options: Hit the bus or hit the ditch.
Broach said he instinctively turned the wheel toward the ditch, “I never even thought about it. I just got the wheel and went,” he explained.
His split action didn’t go unnoticed; Later on Tuesday (Aug. 14), a woman named Joan Snyder posted to Facebook about Broach’s actions.
She told 5NEWS she decided to write the post because she’s familiar with the challenges truck drivers have to face daily because her husband is one, too.
Also, ironically, Snyder’s two kids were on the bus.
“The man risked his own life and drug the wheel and hit the ditch. And to me, I’m thankful for that. I was scared,” said Snyder.
Broach said if it happened again, he’d do it all the same.
This Saturday (Aug. 18th), a group of parents plan to meet with Broach to thank him in- person for his heroic actions.