Texas A&M students among survivors of fiery shuttle bus crash in College Station

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - The parents of a bus passenger who survived a fiery crash on Highway 6 say they’re thankful for those who stopped to help their son and his girlfriend.

The Texas A&M University senior students were the only passengers on board the Santa’s Wonderland shuttle bus when it was hit by an SUV just after midnight Sunday near the Academy Store in College Station.

The collision resulted in a large fire that consumed both vehicles. The driver of the SUV was killed at the scene. Police officers and bystanders were able to pull the SUV’s passenger and the bus driver out of and away from the burning vehicles.

No names have been released but family members have identified the driver of the bus as Calvin Hill, a coach at Rudder High School in Bryan.

The family of the young man who was on the bus asked us not to share their names but said he and his girlfriend made it off the bus with only minor injuries.

They credit bystanders for helping to save the young couple.

“We are very thankful for the few good samaritans that stopped to help our kids and the off-duty officer who was on his way home that just happened to be driving by right after the crash. The officer made sure our kids were okay, and upon hearing my son tell him the driver was still on the bus, he ran and made the heroic effort to pull Mr. Hill out of the bus which was already quickly going up in flames. He is a true hero and should be publicly acknowledged for his bravery,” said the father.

The family says Hill, who is now recovering in a Houston hospital, left a memorable impression on the survivors.

“In the very short amount of time that my son was on the bus, 15-20 minutes, and not having ever met the driver before, my son spoke very highly of Mr. Hill. He said Mr. Hill was super nice and friendly to them and they were going to give him a good tip. If Mr. Hill could make a positive impact on my son’s life in such a short amount of time, I can only imagine how great a man he is with all his students,” said the father.

Several bystanders are being hailed as heroes in the aftermath of the crash, including a tow truck driver, several people who risked their own lives to pull the victims from the flames, and a woman who offered up her phone to the bus riders.

“Some angels carry cell phones,” said the mother. “She let my son borrow her phone so he could call us. I only know her name is Tonya. She stayed with my son and his girlfriend while emergency personnel tended to the crash.”

College Station Police say they’re still investigating what caused the crash.

A preliminary investigation indicates the driver was southbound on the feeder road of the highway when, for an unknown reason, he crossed several lanes of the highway and hit the bus that was northbound.

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