Troopers honored for rescuing 2 from burning school bus in December crash

PIQUA — Four Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers from the Dayton and Piqua posts were honored Thursday evening for saving the lives of two school employees in a fiery December crash.

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The Piqua Board of Education credited the troopers for rescuing the pair who were trapped inside a burning Piqua school bus after it was involved in a crash on Dec. 14 on Interstate 75 in Vandalia.

Honored were troopers James Davis, Chip Gannon, Jason Hutchison and Sgt. David Robison for assisting bus driver Cayley Seitz and aide Harold “JR” Raybern Jr. after the chain of crashes  that involved four vehicles, including the Piqua school bus.

FIRST REPORT: 2 injured in 4-vehicle, chain-reaction crash on I-75 in Vandalia

An initial investigation found a semi slowed to avoid an initial crash, which was on the shoulder of the highway. The bus was not able to stop in time and collided into the rear of the semi. A second semi then crashed into the back of the Piqua bus, state troopers said.

In cruiser camera footage obtained by this news organization, you can see multiple troopers run to the smoke-filled bus and pull one of the victims from the crash. The victim appears dazed and is placed on the ground until medics remove the victim to the hospital.

No students were on the bus when the crash happened.