'If You're Sleepy... Take A Nap': Bus Crash Victim Offers Advice To Drivers
By Jamie Leary
GREELEY, Colo. (CBS4)- A Greeley High School student says he saw his life flash before his eyes when a truck collided head-on with his bus Thursday afternoon.
"All of a sudden, I hear a big bang and the next thing you know the whole bus starts flipping. I blacked out for a second when I hit the windows," said Seth Salcido.
The 16-year-old suffered bumps and bruises. He also hurt his arm and will need to keep it in a sling for the next couple of weeks.
He says he is doing fine but several of his friends suffered broken bones. His thoughts are also with the bus driver who was more seriously injured.
The bus was on its way back from Elitch Gardens. It was carrying teens with the Student Recovery Program; a summer program designed to empower young Latino men in the Greeley community.
Salcido says he was sound asleep when the collision happened just north of Hudson in Weld County. He recalls the sound, then feeling the bus roll. After that, it was lights out.
"My buddy saved my life." Salcido said.
A friend helped him to his feet as he tried to make sense of what was happening.
"I looked around me, there were some people bleeding, crying screaming."
Salcido and others helped those remaining off the bus and backed away from the scene.
The driver who struck the bus, William Carroll, of Littleton, admitted to falling asleep at the wheel. Salcido had a very thoughtful reaction to hearing the news.
"I'm not mad at him... well, I am a little, like this much. But I'm not really mad at him. I get it you have to be there on time," he continued, "If you're sleepy, just drive off to the side and take a nap."
Jamie Leary joined the CBS4 team in 2015 and currently works as a reporter for CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. She couldn't imagine a better place to live and work and will stop at nothing to find the next great story. Jamie loves learning about and hearing from her fellow community members, so connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @JamieALeary.