This might be one of the few times that students won’t get in trouble for running out of the building without permission. School was finishing up for the day at Layton Christian Academy in Utah when students noticed an accident right outside of their building.
Surveillance video shows a stream of students rush out of the building toward what they had just seen – a car hitting 3 pedestrians. According to police, a mother and her two children were walking through the parking lot of the school when a driver got blinded by the bright sun and hit the family.
Bridgette Ponson with her toddlers Brightly and Archer. Photo courtesy of GoFundMe
As the students came rushing to the rescue, 3-year-old Brightly Ponson crawled out from beneath the car. Bridgette Ponson, a staff member at the school, and her 2-year-old son Archer, were trapped under the vehicle. More than 20 students, alongside bystanders, worked to free the mom and her son.
I walked out, there was a lot of commotion going on and people were just telling me to help and I just dropped myself and ran over,” said one of the students, Theophious Roach.
A bystander, Senior Airman Dominique Childress, said he ran over to help the students. “I noticed legs come out and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, there’s an actual child under this car,’ so I was like, ‘Hey, guys, switch it up, let’s get the car high enough so we can get the kid out.’ Somebody came, pulled the kid out and mom was able to get out 15 seconds later,” he said.
“The car was heavy,” said another student, Junior Saripsat. “We did our best, and the moment I heard the kids crying I was like, ‘Oh, thank God, the kids are good.” Layton Christian Academy CEO Chris Crowder had nothing but praise for his students. “From different countries; girls, boys, it didn’t matter. They just all took a spot in the car and lifted it,” he said.
Bridgette Ponson with her family, including toddlers Brightly and Archer. Photo courtesy of GoFundMe
All three victims were taken to the hospital. Police said that the incident was just a tragic accident. The woman driving the car was blinded by the sun when she crashed into the family. Officials said she was cooperating and she wasn’t distracted or impaired at the time. The children had minor injuries, while the mom had been more seriously hurt, but is expected to make a full recovery, police said.
The doctor said it was a miracle that they didn’t have severe life-threatening injuries,” Crowder said.
“I’m very proud of our kids and I’m even proud of the driver who was behind the wheel,” he said. “She immediately ran to help, she just was blinded, I was proud of everyone the kids just ran and without even having to tell them what to do they just knew what to do.”
“It was just another example of God’s power,” Crowder said. “We just have seen God do so many things around here, and this is one of them.” Watch below for a look at these amazing students!
