'I Was Like Oh My Gosh, What Just Happened?' Says 12-Year-Old Girl Who Helped Little Brothers Off School Bus Before It Was Hit By Metra Train
ORLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- A 12-year-old girl on Friday night was reeling from a ride home from school she'll never forget – after she helped everyone get out safely before her school bus was slammed into by a Metra train in Orland Park.
Ava Gentile told her story exclusively to CBS 2's Jermont Terry. Her two younger brothers were also on board.
"So I'm like, 'Jeremy, you have to get off this bus right now!' and I grabbed Joshua - I said, 'Don't worry about anything,'" Ava said.
Around 2:40 p.m., Ava was on the school bus when it was hit by an inbound Metra Southwest Service train at the 167th Street crossing, near 109th Avenue.
The school bus driver actually got all the kids off in time – and they had less than a minute to do so before the Metra train slammed into the bus. There were five people on board – a driver and four students.
And Ava, a sixth grader, is credited with helping out in a big way.
No parent wants to see their kids' school bus in such a position – stuck on the tracks and smashed by a train. But Marc Gentile's two sons – Jeremy and Joshua – were on board with their big sis on the way home when she yelled.
"I stood up and yelled, 'Jeremy and Joshua, get off the bus right now!'" Ava said.
Seconds before getting her brothers' attention, Ava noticed the bus driver was having problems.
"As usual, she opens the door to see if a train is coming and she closes it," Ava said. "When she's about to go, the bus is not moving, and she keeps trying to get the bus to move - and it's not."
That was when the crossing arms came down right on top of the bus. Ava said she and her bus driver, Sue, jumped into action to get everyone to safety.
"I was thinking that a train is coming and we're on the bus, and Miss Sue's first thought was to get off the bus - which, you know, I'm thankful for," Ava said. "Think smarter, not harder."
With the Metra train speeding down the tracks, Ava and the driver were able to get her two brothers and a fourth student out the front door in enough time to watch the train slam into the bus they had just escaped. Again, we are told it was less than a minute.
"I was like, 'Oh my gosh, what just happened?' Like I couldn't believe it," Ava said. "Like, you know, it's always in the bus evacuation drill – like, you know, they're explaining stuff, and you're kind of like, oh, that's probably not going to happen - and when it happens, you're like, oh thank gosh, you know, we all knew what to do."
Ava's father said she called him right away.
"She had her phone on her and she called us, and she said, you know, 'Hey, the bus got into an accident; got hit by a train,'" said Marc Gentile. "I'm waiting to pick her up from the bus in my car, so I immediately fly to the location, because I know the route."
Dad came across the scene to find his three children all safe.
"As much as it was an accident, you know, there were some small miracles of people doing the right thing," he said.
He credits Ava and the driver for their quick thinking, and he is beyond thankful his children are safe. He reminds every parent – don't take a school day for granted.
"Appreciate what you have," Gentile said, "because in a blink of an eye, it could all be gone."
Dad and mom, of course, are hugging all three children extra hard Friday night. He also pointed out that many times, we have all been at a crosswalk and have seen a school bus stopping, opening the door, and looking down the tracks. He reminds every drive to take the time and have the patience – because this is proof it really can be helpful.