Brian Lathrop was transporting four students and three adults from Onamia to Little Falls on Wednesday morning when an oncoming semi veered across his lane.
ONAMIA, Minn. — After 20 years of driving a school bus, safety checks are second nature for Brian Lathrop, and after Wednesday morning, he truly understands how valuable that is.
“Honestly, I have no idea if I even thought about what was going on,” Lathrop said. “I just seen the truck coming at me and I had to make a maneuver.”
Lathrop’s quick action came as he was driving four Onamia students and three adult bus paraprofessionals to Little Falls on Wednesday morning. Dashcam video shows a semi-truck traveling southbound on Highway 169 just north of Shakopee Road in Kathio Township, when suddenly it swerved into the oncoming lane.
“I didn’t notice that the first time I viewed the video footage, how he actually swerved twice,” said Onamia superintendent, JJ Vold. “Had he not done that, it could have been a different accident when he swerved to the left.”
The close call didn’t come without contact. Photos after the incident show how the truck still sideswiped the bus.
Brian Lathrop: “There is pretty extensive damage to the bus but I’m glad the bus held up like it did.”
Kent Erdahl: “What don’t we see in that video?”
Lathrop: “My bus paras. You don’t see them in the video. Right after it happened, all three of them started tending to the kids.”
Becky Dahl, was one of those paraprofessionals on the bus.
“I hollered, out and said, ‘Is everybody okay? Thank god everybody was.'” she said.
Two students were checked out for minor injuries at the scene but Dahl says all are doing well, at least physically.
“Personally, I think it’s just starting to hit me,” she said. “For the most part, I’ve been trying to stay strong for the kids and for Brian. It’s going to haunt me for a while. When I go to look out the window and seeing that semi coming straight at us.”
Lathrop admits he has also had some trouble sleeping.
Erdahl: “Do you let yourself think about what could have happened?”
Lathrop: “A lot of times… yeah. It kind of made me tear up earlier, so yeah… it’s just a lot to think about.”
But he says he doesn’t need to think about whether he’ll keep doing his job. That, he says, is second nature.
“I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” he said.
Neither would his passengers.
“I trust Brian and I ain’t going nowhere,” Dahl said. “He saved our lives.”
The State Patrol and Mille Lacs County Sheriff are investigating the accident, including why that semi driver suddenly crossed lanes.