HERO KNIFE BOY HELPS DAD TO ESCAPE SCHOOL BUS SMASH
Father cut himself free... thanks to quick-thinking son, 11
A QUICK-THINKING schoolboy told how he grabbed a knife to help free his dad from a horror crash.
Nathan Pearce, 11, was on hand to aid his dad Stuart after being caught up in a school bus crash.
The young boy said: “I gave my dad the knife to cut himself out. It was scary but he’ll be OK.”
A school bus ploughed into a house yesterday afternoon. Stuart’s car was also badly damaged.
Investigations are continuing into how the incident happened.
I’ve seen a few crashes before but nothing like this
Quick-witted son, 11 made dash to get a knife so his father could cut himself free
A QUICK-THINKING schoolboy helped free his dad from a horror smash after a school bus ploughed into a house.
Nathan Pearce, 11, grabbed a knife from his home and raced to his dad’s aid so he could cut free himself from his seatbelt.
The drama unfolded following the crash in Coatbridge yesterday afternoon.
Stuart Pearce was rushed to hospital after a bus smashed into his car and dragged it into a nearby house.
Stuart was picking up his son Nathan from the 11-yearold’s mum’s house on Carnbroe Road, at around 3pm yesterday when he was involved in the crash.
The school bus, which emerged from a bus terminus on the street after dropping pupils off, hit the back of the 34-year-old’s Mazda, forcing it into two bungalows.
Nathan’s mum, who asked not to be named, said: “We heard a bang and ran out and saw Stuart’s car had hit the house.
“Nathan grabbed a knife to give to his dad so Stuart could cut his seatbelt and crawl out the car.
“His head was bleeding but we think he’ll be alright. He was taken to hospital.”
Nathan said: “I gave my dad the knife to cut himself out. It was scary but he’ll be OK.”
Stuart’s dad, who came to pick up Nathan after the crash, said it was a “miracle” it occurred when it did, as it was the only night his youngest grandson wasn’t in the back of the car.
He explained: “Normally when he picks Nathan up, Stuart has his six-month-old with him, Harry.
“His car seat is exactly where the bus hit so he’d be dead, Nathan would be dead too.
“My wife and daughter were at opposite ends of the street trying to get through but police wouldn’t let them.
“All we were thinking was ‘was Nathan in the car? Where is Nathan? Is Stuart OK?’”
The family said Stuart remains in hospital but is stable.
It’s not yet known what caused the crash or the condition of the driver.
It’s understood the house which suffered the most damage was empty.
There were no children on board the bus, branded with company logo JMB Travel.
Eyewitnesses said it was like a scene from a Jason Bourne movie.
One witness, Moira Niven said: “I came home from work and had no idea what happened until I saw all the blue flashing lights.
“My neighbour said the kids had been dropped off before the crash so I hope that’s the case because it doesn’t bear thinking about what would happen if they had been on that bus.
A dog walker who asked not to be named said: “I had just got in the door when I heard a big smash.
“I honestly didn’t think anything of it until my wife came home about an hour later. It’s awful. It’s quite a busy street and because it comes off a national speed limit road people tend to really hit the gas.
“I’ve seen a few crashes before but nothing like this.”
Another man added: “It was like something out a Jason Bourne movie. It just smashed through the garden wall. It’s a lot of wee old folks on that street as well so must’ve given them a fright.”
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “We received reports of a bus and vehicle appearing to collide before the bus collided into a house.
“Drivers of both vehicles were treated for injuries at the scene and there were no pupils on board at the time of the incident.”
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: “This is an ongoing incident. We are making the scene safe.”
The road was closed while investigations are under way.
A spokeswoman for North Lanarkshire Council said the bus, which is operated by SPT, had dropped all pupils off before the accident happened.