Florida Bus Driver Uses Bus to Protect Hit-and-Run Victim from Oncoming Traffic

Stacy Hatcher had just returned students back to their campus when she came across Abigail Stevens lying on the road

A school bus driver in Eustin, Florida ended a day at work last week by saving the life of a hit-and-run victim.

Stacy Hatcher had just returned Eustis High School band members back to their campus from a field trip when she came across Abigail Stevens lying on the road at the intersection of Lakeview Avenue and Morin Drive.

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Hatcher told News 6 WKM that she found Stevens after traveling to the bus depot on a different route than she would normally take. Although she immediately called 911 to report that "there's a body laying in the road," Hetcher shared with the outlet that she initially believed she was at the scene of a prank.

“I thought it was a prank for Halloween, you know, that someone would do to put someone in the road to kind of scare someone which it did scare me," she said. "So when I saw her I immediately put my bus in park and I brightened my lights and what made me know it was a real body — I saw blood running alongside the road where she was laying and I immediately called 911."

The Eustis Police Department confirmed in a news release shared on Facebook that the incident occurred on the night of Oct. 23 at around 9:03 p.m. The announcement included a photo of a vehicle that is suspected to have been involved in the incident.

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Its description states that "the vehicle involved is allegedly an older model white passenger car, with a black body molding strip across the front/rear passenger doors and little to no tint on the windows."

PEOPLE has reached out to the Eustis Police Department for comment.

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Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri told News 6 WKM that authorities do not have a suspect description. He also praised Hatcher for using the school bus to block Stevens from possible oncoming traffic.

“She was definitely at the right place at the right time, and she saved the human life that day. She’s a hero and she should be recognized as that," he said.

The Lake County School District also praised Hatcher. The district shared a link to a story about the incident from Inside Lake on Facebook alongside the caption, "Bus driver Stacey Hatcher used her school bus to shield a hit-and-run victim from oncoming traffic in Eustis on Monday night, possibly saving the person's life."

The post included a photo of Hatcher standing next to a school bus and the text, "Bus Driver Hero."

"Thank you for your thoughtful actions in protecting a hit-and-run victim from oncoming traffic," read a message on the photo. "We appreciate you."

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