Driver of school bus with students on board suffers possible heart attack in Mt. Laurel

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (WPVI) -- 12 students from Springville Elementary School got the scare of their lives in Mount Laurel when their bus driver suffered a possible heart attack behind the wheel.

"As I'm pulling into the driveway, all of sudden it accelerated and ended up crashing into the house there; it was pretty surreal," resident Bob Berry told Action News.

Berry says it was around 3:45 p.m. Tuesday on Lenape Court in his Hartford Woods neighborhood.

He snapped a picture of the bus jumping the sidewalk before it drove across his neighbor's lawn and crashed into the house.

Berry ran to help the male driver and his frightened young passengers.

"They were crying. They were distraught, scary situation. Just seeing it, I was worried for them, but another neighbor came along, got on the bus and tried to get them to calm down," Berry said.

The children were not injured, but their driver who was awake and talking was rushed to hospital.

Seconds before the crash the man was able to radio his supervisor to warn he was having a medical emergency.

John Estep's daughter Abby had just gotten off the bus before the crash.

"Just like any parent would be very concerned you know. We are just happy that she's fine and all the kids on the bus are fine too," Estep said.

The owner of the home says there was barely any damage.

While the remaining children were being reunited with their parents, the bus that gave them that wild ride was driven away from the scene.

Mount Laurel Township Schools says special attention will be given to the kids who were on that bus.

Staff members will ride that route in the morning and counselors will be on hand to greet students.

"We are ever grateful to the neighbors who assisted today and boarded the bus to calm and assure our students," a statement from school officials read.