CBS12 News Team

Dramatic video captures school bus spinning in tornado

Dramatic audio recording of a school bus driver's race to save students and herself from a tornado.
Hear what happened just minutes before her bus gets tossed around like a toy.
HENRYVILLE, Ind. -- A
school bus driver in Henryville, Indiana had to outrun this month's
devastating EF4 tornado with nearly a dozen children on board.
She got them to safety just minutes before the bus is tossed around by the twister.
Watch and listen to this heart pounding race against mother nature.
Mike Colombo reports.
--REPORTER PKG-AS FOLLOWS --
IT IS 3:15 MARCH 2ND, STORM SIRENS ARE WAILING AND THE 36,000 POUND SCHOOL BUS IS NO MATCH FOR THE TORNADO.
DEBRIS FLYING AND LIGHTNING FLASHING -- WATCH HOW THE BUS MOVES ACROSS THE PARKING LOT.. SLAMS INTO A CAR.
(NATS)
AND THEN IS LIFTED AND CARRIED ACROSS THE ROAD, CRASHING INTO A DINER.
THE BUS MICROPHONES EVEN PICKING UP THE SOUND OF GLASS BREAKING INSIDE THE RESTAURANT.
BUT
ON THE BUS JUST THIRTEEN MINUTES EARLIER, ELEVEN CHILDREN HEADING
HOME... DISMISSED EARLY BECAUSE OF THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER.
THE DRIVER REASSURES THEM.
"Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah."
ANGEL PERRY THE BUS DRIVER IS SCRAMBLING TO FIND A PLACE TO TAKE COVER.
"We're going to go to the Baptist Church too.  I don't know what else to do."
AS THE SKIES DARKEN, THE CHATTER INCREASES ON THE BUS AND THE RADIO.
Dispatch: I know you're busy -
Child:  We should go back to the school.
Perry:  Shh. Quiet.
THE BUS WAS NEARLY THREE MILES FROM SCHOOL.
"And I stopped the bus for a second, put my hands down and I said, 'Dear Lord, what do I do?'"
AND YOU CAN HEAR PERRY AS SHE MAKES HER DECISION TO TURN THE BUS AROUND.
Perry:  We're going back to the school
PERRY ASKS A HIGH SCHOOLER FOR HELP.
"Count how many kids we have please."
Perry: Eleven. Thank you so much
Perry: If anybody needs to call their parents we're going back to the school."
Child: I do. I don't know my parent's phone number.
Perry:  We'll call when we get to school.
Radio: Henryville - there is a tornado on the ground.
Perry: Tornado on the ground, guys. Quiet!
Perry:  If you got a book to put over your head, do it.  Get in the middle.
THE BUS NOW A MINUTE AND A HALF FROM THE SCHOOL.
Perry: There's the tornado right there guys. look, the funnel cloud.
PERRY IS ANXIOUS BUT HAS CALM INSTRUCTIONS FOR HER PRECIOUS CARGO.
Perry: Don't block me truck.  Don't block me.  Guys, we're just going to go as fast as we can into the school.
THE BUS PULLS UP TO THE SCHOOL.
Perry: Everybody stay together, our group together.  Yeah, go go go go go go go go!
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven (child cries), eight, nine.. Come on!  Come on!  Ten, eleven, go! go! go!
Child: Sorry
JUST THREE MINUTES LATER, PERRY'S CELL PHONE STILL IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT, THE BUS IS BLOWN AWAY.

Tuesday, May 1 2012, 02:34 PM EDT

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