A middle school girl in Lee County is recovering at home after a terrifying Tuesday morning at her bus stop on Coconut Road turned into something nobody ever wants to live through. And something her grandparents definitely didn’t sign up for when they started their day.
The student was doing everything right. She was standing at her bus stop, waiting for her ride, minding her business. That’s when a driver, apparently convinced that braking was optional, veered around a stopped school bus to avoid rear-ending it.
The car didn’t miss the girl entirely — it struck the heavy backpack she was wearing, sending her to the hospital.
The Backpack That Deserves Its Own Trophy
Image Credit: Wink.
Here’s where the story takes a turn that textbook manufacturers everywhere should find deeply satisfying: all those heavy books actually did something useful for once. The bulky backpack absorbed enough of the impact to prevent what could have been catastrophic injuries. The girl walked away with a scraped chin and soft tissue damage to her back. The driver’s side door, meanwhile, was left with a very telling dent.
Grandmother Lori Masters, who sprinted to the scene faster than she’d run in years (her words, not ours), put it simply: “We had a miracle.”
Grandfather Brian Masters approached the driver after the crash. Her response? “I’m praying for her. I’m driving too fast. I couldn’t stop.” At least she was honest — though maybe channel that energy into the brake pedal next time.
50 Feet of Tire Marks and a Chunk Out of a Tree
The driver left over 50 feet of skid marks across the road and grass, and even clipped a tree. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is still processing the crash report, and the Masters family says whatever citation was issued wasn’t nearly enough.
The family and the School District of Lee County are asking drivers to slow down; especially during morning and afternoon school hours. Watch for buses. Watch for kids. Watch for literally anything other than your own schedule.
The backpack saved her. Don’t make it do that again.
