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ELK RIDGE, Utah County – Residents in Elk Ridge said one of their school bus drivers is a hero after a very close call at a bus stop.
A driver who was not paying attention to a school bus stop sign could have seriously injured or even killed a little girl if not for the actions of bus driver Curtis Going.
Life is often easier when you do something you love. That's why, for six years now, Going hasn't minded those early morning wakeup alarms.
"It was supposed to be a temp job for me," said Going with a laugh.
He drives a bus for the Nebo School District and loves getting to know the kids and hearing all the fun things they have to say.
"The kids are amazing. They really are. They're a lot smarter thank you think," he said. "But yet they tell some funny stories that come from home whether it's embarrassing or not."
As much he loves driving a school bus, though, there's one story from earlier this month he can't get out of his mind.
It involves one of the students who had just got off his bus and the driver of a silver car who, for some reason, ignored the flashing red lights and stop sign that pulls out from the side of the bus.
"She's getting ready to cross the road and I look over in my mirror and I see this car coming up pretty quick and I realize he's not stopping," he said.
Going knew he had to do something. He stuck his arms out the driver's side window and honked his bus horn.
The girl's mother lives across the street and heard the bus horn, too.
"I came running out and I knew she was in danger. That honk, I knew she was in danger," said Allison Dawn.
I came running out and I knew she was in danger. That honk, I knew she was in danger.
–Allison Dawn, girl's mother
That honk was enough to make her daughter jump back, missing the passing car by inches.
"It was a close call. Maybe too close," said Going.
Whoever was driving that car swerved at the last second, but kept going.
"Didn't even stop. I don't even know what to tell," said Dawn. "I don't know what to say about it, to be honest."
However, her daughter was safe.
The next day, people in the Elk Ridge neighborhood who live near the bus stop gave Going a big thank you.
"I put it on our community page, and we had 30-40 people out here with a great big sign, 'you're our hero,'" said Dawn. "He saved my daughter's life."
Going is just happy the girl wasn't hit. "Everything turned out OK," he said.
He still loves the job and loves the kids. He just wishes these close calls weren't happening so often.
"Just get rid of the distractions and pay attention to your driving," he said. "It's an everyday occurrence. This is not just once a week or once a month, this is every single day."
