A group of high school students in Layton, Utah, are being celebrated as heroes for their quick actions to save a mother and her two young children.
The dramatic rescue unfolded in a school parking lot, where the family found themselves in grave danger.
The incident occurred on a seemingly ordinary Tuesday afternoon.
The mother, with her children aged 2 and 3, was walking to her car when a terrifying accident happened.
They were run over by a car and became trapped underneath.
Lt. Travis Lyman of the Layton Police Department shared this harrowing detail with โGood Morning America.โ
Responding to the scene within three minutes of the 911 call, police discovered a remarkable sight.
Students and school officials from Layton Christian Academy were already attempting to lift the car off the trapped family.
Lt. Lyman expressed how critical those minutes were and praised the studentsโ heroic efforts: โThree minutes doesnโt sound like a long time, but certainly in a critical incident like that, when stress is high, that seems like a really long time. But they did rally and weโre proud of them for getting involved and helping the way they did.โ
The schoolโs surveillance video captured the urgency of the moment, showing students rushing to the scene.
Chris Crowder, CEO of the school, recalled the urgency: โI ran back in the building to grab as many students as possible. The car was just on top of them and squishing them. It was a small car, so there was very little clearance.โ
Crowder detailed how the students managed to lift the car, creating enough space for one of them to reach under and pull out the mother and one child.
Miraculously, the other child managed to escape on their own.
Crowder expressed his pride in the students: โThey knew what to do, that they had to do something. Weโre very proud of them.โ
Senior Airman Dominique Childress, who witnessed the accident while picking up his own children, jumped into action.
He highlighted the studentsโ bravery, emphasizing their lack of formal training in such emergencies: โTheyโve never had that [military] training, and so for each and every one of them to instinctively go out and do what they did in that traumatic experience is what makes them the real heroes of this story,โ he told โGMA.โ
Crowder revealed to โGMAโ that the mother, known as Bridgette, is an employee of the school.
She was taken to a hospital, underwent surgery, and is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Fortunately, both children survived with only minor injuries.
The driver, whose identity hasnโt been made public, told police she didnโt see the family due to the afternoon sun blinding her.
โShe was traveling pretty slowly through the parking lot but just didnโt see these people walking in front of her,โ Lyman explained.
The incident is yet to be reviewed by the city attorney to determine if any charges are appropriate.
This tragic event turned into a story of bravery and quick thinking, showcasing the courage and humanity of those high school students.
To watch the teenagers bravely jump into action watch the video below.
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