Pregnant Driver Saves Students From Burning Bus

In the face of an emergency, you can count on Mom to keep her cool and look out for those who need help. It’s that “motherly instinct” that helped Milwaukee bus driver Imunek Williams jump into action when the bus she was driving started to smoke and then caught fire.

At 8 months pregnant, Williams was having a routine day picking up students for their day at the Milwaukee Academy of Science when just a short way from her last stop, she noticed an odd smell and smoke. While she initially tried to call dispatch, the smoke hitting her in the face and eyes kept her from communicating clearly. “I was just like, ‘OK forget the radio. I’ll just get the kids off the bus,’” she told NBC Milwaukee affiliate WTMJ.

“I think that’s when it was like my mommy instincts kicked in really fast and I was just like OK come on mom let’s do it, let’s get off the bus,” Williams said. Within moments the mom-to-be quickly and calmly made sure all 30 students exited the bus.

“I was the last person off once I get off, I turned around and I just seen flames. I wanted to make sure that I was safe, baby was safe and you know if it was my kid on the bus I would’ve wanted one of the bus drivers to act the same way that I did,” she said. “I just feel like I had to stay calm. Like, it was my job to stay calm.”

An emergency response team arrived on the scene quickly after and all of the students were cleared with no injuries reported. Williams was transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation as a precaution but she and baby are now doing just fine.