LAKE CITY, Fla. – Last month, Clarence Tucker faced a bus driver’s greatest fear. One of his students was hit by a car while walking to the bus stop on Nov. 7.
That day, he got out of his seat and performed CPR on 9-year-old Aubrielle Jenkins until Emergency Medical Services arrived.
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Superintendent Keith Couey saw the video of the incident and described Tucker’s actions.
“Without thought — it’s amazing to watch him — he looks at the students in the back of the bus and then he comes forward and grabs his radio, ‘One of my babies is hit, mark where I’m at.’ That’s all he said,” Couey said.
He said Tucker took one more look at the students and made a call: ‘Do I leave my children on my bus, or do I go to that baby on the ground?’
“And he got up off the bus and saved a child’s life,” Couey said. “He needs to be recognized in more ways than one.”
Tucker was honored at Tuesday’s school board meeting and was met with a standing ovation.
The first person he thanked was someone whose name he didn’t know.
“I asked him to hold the child’s head as I did CPR,” Tucker said. “I want to thank that guy, whoever you are, for helping me out.”
He went on to thank God for saving the child, his wife for her support and the community at Columbia County Schools.
Meanwhile, Jenkins' mother thanks him.
“We are blessed. For me to have been right there, for him to be able to jump into action like he did, and all of the civilians that came and helped us out, we are lucky, very blessed to still have her with us,” Tiara Thomas told News4JAX.
Jenkins was in the ICU for 72 hours after suffering injuries to her ankle and head.
She has since gone home and is on the road to recovery.
“We just want to thank you so much for all that you have done and continue to do,” School Board Member Narrie Smith said. “If you never do anything else, you did a heroic job and saved the life of that child, so thank you very much.”
