Bystanders Lift Bus Off Pregnant Mom

Quick Action Saves NYC Woman's Baby, But She Dies

(CBS/ AP)  Dozens of strangers converged from all directions to lift a 5-ton bus off the body of a pregnant woman Friday - a heroic effort that managed to save the life of her child but was too late for her.

Seven months pregnant, Donnette Sanz was crossing one of the busiest intersections in the Bronx on her lunch break when she was struck by a van whose brakes failed. The impact sent the 33-year-old police department traffic agent flying into the path of a yellow school bus and pinned her underneath.

About 30 people helped lift the bus, and Sanz was rushed to a hospital, where doctors delivered her boy by Caesarean section. The 3-pound, 6-ounce infant, named Sean Michael, was in critical condition Friday but showing signs of improvement.

Mourners and neighborhood residents gathered outside the hospital to pray for Sanz and her child.

The 72-year-old van driver, Walter Walker, pleaded not guilty to criminally negligent homicide and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. He was being held on $100,000 bail, and his attorney didn't immediately return a phone call.

A day after welcoming his miracle baby into the world, the victim's husband lashed out at Walker, reports CBS station WCBS-TV in New York.

"I hope that guy rots in hell," said Rafael Sanz.

Police said in a court filing that the brakes on Walker's van had deteriorated so badly that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. Walker told investigators he had some repairs done six months ago but knew there were still problems.

Police said Walker's license has been suspended 20 times, most recently for failure to pay parking tickets. He had previously been sentenced to probation and fines for driving offenses.

"We was riding along, coming down the hill," John Dargan, a passenger in Walker's van, told the Daily News. "He said, 'Oh, my Lord, I don't have no brakes.' It happened so quick. I just closed my eyes."

Walker told the New York Post: "The light turned red, and I couldn't stop. I tried to miss her." He said he had been using his brother's van to help a friend move.

Sanz, a Bronx resident, had been a civilian member of the New York Police Department for two years.

Bystanders, including Gary Burgess, came in waves to lift the mini school bus from Sanz's body.

"It was the human thing to do," said Burgess, 50.

There were no children on the bus at the time.

Sanz survived the delivery in an emergency operating room at St. Barnabas Hospital but died about an hour later, spokesman Fred Winters said.

The baby was taken to the neonatal intensive-care unit and placed on a ventilator. He was still in critical condition Friday but "is basically healthy," Winters said.

At the hospital on Thursday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg met with Sanz's husband, Rafael, to offer his condolences.

"It's a terrible poignancy that Donnette's son's birthday will now coincide with the day his mother died," the mayor said. "I hope that as this child grows up, he comes to understand that his mother gave her life in service to our city and that we are forever grateful."

[lily1972]

OMG!! this is so sad. My prayers sre with the family. I hope the baby makes it.

[barbaraf4]

"God bless the child."

[luvny-2009]

How sad God bless all of them. What''s even more sad is how it takes something like this for all to come together to help.

[licecramal]

Hey CBS - Don''t you have spell check? The word is "yellow" not "yeloow." Geez.

[last121868]

wow newster~i''m not very religious myself but don''t you think that people have a right to believe in something, just as you have the right to not believe?

[jcirello]

May be she was as nice as you newster1.

[licecramal]

lily1972, barbaraf4,and luvNY - What''s wrong with you? Are you going to continue to pray and worship a god who allows this type of misery and tragedy to continue? You REALLY need to take a good look at this ancient practice called religion to see all the errors and contradictions it exemplifies.

[gop_forever]

God lifted the bus off the woman, not the bystanders.

[cbmtrx]

God killed the woman AND lifted the bus off her? Wow.

No, PEOPLE killed her and PEOPLE lifted the bus off her.

Why must everything be attributed to a bearded fellow in the sky? These are children''s bedtime stories.

[jcirello]

I''ve learned that religious people are happier and are nicer to others people. For the people who think praying is useless... when have you help a stranger. Do you yell alot?.. Maybe always mad... You might consider improving yourself.

[ansa3-2009]

If God lifted the bus off the woman, not the bystanders then did God also allow that women to die?

[amy_73-2009]

nycsense,
Maybe practice what you preach (i.e. if you dont have something nice to say...)
God didnt create vans or buses or bad drivers, humans made those choices, as that is what he allows...free choice. The choice may be good, bad or simply an accident but is still apart of his grand design. To a believer, death is not the ultmate bad, but beginning of new life with God. Because I expect many of us have not been dead yet, I dont think that anyone can discount that is the case. The Bible is filled with factual history (not simple bedtime stories) and is God''s inerrant word.

[gmeierhoff]

This story embodies so many wonderful characteristics I hold dear when I think of Americans:

Americans will rush to help a stranger, instead of turning a blind eye;

Americans will listen to their hearts instead of their heads and will attempt something seemingly impossible (lifting a bus!), regardless of the danger to themselves, simply because it''s the right thing to do;

Americans perserve in the face of initial failure, and refuse to give up;

Americans will work together, even if they''re strangers to one another, to get the job done.

Brava to these American heroes of the Bronx! And thank you for reminding me today of all the wonderful characteristics we all can aspire to.

[ansa3-2009]

to jcirello:
So you learned that religious people are happier and are nicer to other people? Did it also teach you to be a holyier than thou person or a psychologist to say people that don''t pray don''t help strangers, yell alot and get mad? It looks like the only thing you learned was to talk about others in a General way. Better go to church on SUNDAY and not saturday night in your jeans and flip flops and ask for forgiveness. Don''t forget the extra cash for the poor box.

[haoli25]

It must have been the ''talking snake'' that threw that ''SPECIAL'' bus at the pregnant woman.

[armydog2]

I pray the little fellow can survive. The American Spirit is alive and well and I thank those people who came to the aid of this woman and her child. Rest in Peace Mom.

[iamyipper]

newster1: You certainly don''t know anything about God and are even afraid to mention His name in writing. You lack faith and that''s fine, you lack understanding and belief and that''s fine. That''s your choice and in america you are free to believe in your religion of atheism, you are also free to express your opinion. However your comments are rude and abusive to those who like you are free to express their religion and belief in God. They are inappropriate to this particular forum and you have been reported as they do not deal with the story but attack merely the posters.

[nycsense]

amy_73,

You''re probably a good natured person, and obviously staunchly religious. I could appreciate that if that''s your thing. But what I don''t like is when people go aroung "bible thumping" to get everyone to "believe". I "believe" in human nature, and very little in some grand design. I believe in the beauty that people can create and the horrors that they are also capable of. The grand design tends to hold the carelessness of the van driver less accountable for his actions. This is the major problem I have with religion.

Why do people who believe in God not care enough to learn who he is and why we are here, and people who say they don''t believe in him sound like they really do believe but they are furious at him for not following their orders?

[iamyipper]

nycsense: All humans are responsible for their actions, without knowing the accident report nor being there to witness the accident it is hard to say who is at fault for the woman''s death. According to the bible, we are ultimately responsible for our own actions, it''s the gift and depending on how you look at it, curse of free will. We can make our own decisions, but that freedom comes with responsibility and consequences. If someone says differently then there is more study required of the scriptures. I for one am grateful the american people are able to pull together, it''s only sad we only tend to do so under such horrifying circumstances.

[dogsoul]

...just popped in here & I don''t know HOW this turned religious. I''m a Catholic - and while I already know people love to attack Catholics & yes, we know ALL about the pedophile priest scandals - the reality is that your ''bible thumpin'' types annoy me too... I mean, hey - I''m on God''s side as well... I just don''t go rubbing in in everybody''s face at every turn - enough already....

And equally if not moreso.... naw, definitely moreso in the irritating factor are the atheists - desperately trying to drag everybody else down into their shallow hollow existence where everything is simple a random collectino of atoms colliding. If that''s what you truly believe, than none of this means anything anyway - so why should YOU care?

Sorry to hear about the mother - good for those folks to save the baby

[homesteader7]

Rest in Peace Mom. God bless the little one and use him to show the love you send us each and every day. Please hold the family in your loving arms and help get them through their grief.

To the negative posters....you shouldn''t question why God does one thing and not another. How do you know that He doesn''t have a grander idea in place for this little one? We shouldn''t question His love for us, we should use His love to comfort us and help us to become a better person. If you do not believe in God, do not punish the ones that do. It is a free country, and we have the right to religious freedoms. If we choose to believe, it is our right to do so. Just as it is your right to not believe. Do not attack those who believe in God, as I will not attack you for not believing.

[homesteader7]

By the way, hate is what fuels anger. Learn to love more people than yourself, and you''ll find that it will be a better world to live in. Help your neighbor, and you will see it come back to you double-fold. Being negative all the time makes you an unhappy person. If you would smile more often, I guarentee you will feel better emotionally and physically.

Have a great day everyone!

[ramos937]

Recently, there was a case where a man was struck by a car in the middle of a city street and no by stander helped him. Now, we have this wonderful story. It gives hope that mankind is still worth something. God bless the mother, baby and these good people.

[buttonjockey]

: By the way, hate is what fuels anger.

Interesting point. Just a note, it is fear that fuels hate.

[hbevis]

We have here something that can''t be explained by the Human mind. When like this happens the Adrenalin kicks in and our body becomes Super-Human. The people that picked up the Bus could not have done the job under normal conditions. Thank GOD that they at least saved the life of the Baby.

At times like this the Nay-Sayers should just look, read, and just try and tolerate what is happening without going on and on. This family is going to need all of the help that they can get, and if Believing in GOD helps them get through this then so be it.

[aeasus]

: By the way, hate is what fuels anger.

Interesting point. Just a note, it is fear that fuels hate.

Posted by buttonjockey
---------------

Fear leads to the darkside...Starwars-Yoda

[wellhell3]

Sincere condolences to the family on their loss, and prayers for the new little life.

Job well done to the bystanders that helped.

[cheddarboy82]

people acting like decent human being ?!?!? that is a story ! surprised they didn''t just look and walk away.

[erasmus81]

"Now the kids gotta live his whole life without a mom! Bummer, eh?" Posted by DaVicar2 at 11:36 AM : Aug 15, 2008

I sure hope you didn''t mean that the way it sounds.

I see you like speaking Canadian, "eh"?

[zny28]

i must say godbless lil sean as well as mom.. i live on 188th n marion just 1 block up from the area where this took place i was in shock but reliefed that there were some GREAT simaritians around i must agree with the gentleman from above this world is full of hate, and lots of anger not cuz its a choice but something thats takes over after living in such a difficult world with poor care from our government. i must say i send my blessing to the family of the victums as well as the people who helped emenesly with the situation. STAY POSITIVE N IF U WANT A CERTAIN AND POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM PEOPLE MAYBE U GUYS SHOULD TRY SHOWING IT WE ONLY LIVE ONCE AND WE NEVER KNOW WHAT AND WHEN ITS GONNA END GODBLESS ALL EVEN OUR FOWL GOV....

[janeyre-2009]

Sorry that mother to be didn''t make it. I was impressed, however with those who banded together and moved the bus off of the deceased. Thereby, making it possible for her unborn to live. Man has the power for Good and it is in His Image, they do. God Bless all who helped and my the deceased RIP.

[simonseemore]

Prayers and condolences go out to the family. The

bystanders are true heroes for saving the life of the

child!

[aeasus]

The people of NY have once again proved that there are many hereos among them!

My condolences to the mother.

This is the type of Hero Action we saw on September 11. The people of New York did what they could and save the baby, what a city.

[berniepeders]

By the way, hate is what fuels anger. Posted by homesteader7 at 10:48 AM

Interesting point. Just a note, it is fear that fuels hate. Posted by buttonjockey at 11:12 AM

If fear fuels hate, and hate fuels anger, what is it that fuels fear to begin with?

Peace

[ybotheratall]

Every once in a while, you read a story that is uplifting. The incredible sadness of the mother losing her life is hard to read, but the heroic actions of many might just give this little one a chance at life. Being in critical condition sounds scary but they can do so much today for small, premature babies. My sympathy to the woman''s family.

[rave_on3]

what is it that fuels fear to begin with?

Peace

Posted by berniepeders at 02:05 PM : Aug 15, 2008

Ignorance!

[rosieod4prez]

"people acting like decent human being ?!?!? that is a story ! surprised they didn''t just look and walk away.- Posted by cheddarboy82

"That''s because they weren''t republicans. - Posted by rharrin1





Ah yes - Democrats, the party of irrational hate.



Obama like''em stupid, and rharrin1 is willing to prove he''s the best Obama material available.

[minimoossee]

this has nothing to do with politics AT ALL - not one iota of a smidgen....
God bless those that helped this poor woman and it just shows that when the time comes there will always be a willing hand to help and turn aside all that is gets people in a tizzy (racism, religion, political beliefs) there were ordinary every day working people that stopped to help a less fortunate - I wish the mother was alive but I can surely say she is looking down from heaven and thanking you all - angel wings to everyone who helped

[rf35]

Good thing it was the short bus!

[cfin5]

Good display of being a helpful citizen folks! Thank you for being quick in making the best out of a very bad situation. I''m sure the mother would be so thankful as well as the baby''s father is :)

[sociald63]

im proud of these regular folks

[sfden]

One more reason I love New Yorkers - you guys rule! My heart goes out to the baby''s Dad :(

[sistatee-2009]

After learning that the baby was another of Jessie Jackson''s "love children", the bystanders decided to leave the bus on top of the pregnant woman.

[psk123-2009]

How sad and wonderful all at the same time. It is heart breaking that the mom lost her life and the little one was forced to be born so early. Thankfully there are so many wonderful people out there that refuse to just ''walk on by'' and did something to help. It is people like these that are the true angels amoung us.

[toolmangler-2009]

A 21 gun salute to all that tried to help her

[T2_Squared]

There is something I wish we had video tape of to show over and over again on the news instead of the usual *** we get inflicted on us daily.

[toolmangler-2009]

No matter what other nations say, That is what Americans do best. (Help those in need)

[rwsmith29456]

Very sorry about the mother but I''m happy the baby was saved and reading the part about how the people helped did me a world of good.