New York heroes lift bus off pregnant woman

Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 8:08 am

Dozens of strangers converged from all directions to lift a 5-ton bus off the body of a pregnant woman on August 16, 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 1.53 kilograms named Sean Michael, was in critical condition yesterday but showing signs of improvement. Mourners and neighbourhood 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 USD100,000 bail, and his attorney didn’t immediately return a phone call.

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”.

PTI

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New York heroes lift bus off pregnant woman

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