'I don't think I'm a hero': SPS bus driver who fended off intruder honored by school board

The minute Olinda Osborn's name was called Tuesday evening, the entire Springfield school board meeting erupted in applause. The audience and board members jumped to their feet.

Three weeks earlier, Osborn was driving Bus 31 through a neighborhood near Field Elementary when a registered sex offender forced his way on board and went for the keys.

She wasn't having any part of it. He yelled "This is my bus" — according to court records — but she yelled at him to get off the bus as 13 students jumped out the emergency door in the back and ran to safety.

"Every day we have more than 100 buses on the road carrying an estimated 9,000 students," said Stephen Hall, chief communications officer. "On April 3, when students on one of those buses were threatened, driver Olinda Osborn took action to protect them."

She stepped forward Tuesday, which just happened to be National School Bus Driver Appreciation Day.

"When an unknown man forced his way onto her bus, Olinda remained calm. She followed her instincts and she put into practice the valuable training that she had received. She distracted the intruder, which allowed students to safely evacuate the bus and seek shelter nearby."

Hall added: "Her calm and her intentional response in the face of personal danger kept the intruder at bay and kept anyone from being physically harmed that day."

Springfield police and school police responded in force and, following a standoff, William Trenton Moore was taken into custody . The 25-year-old, who lived in the neighborhood, was charged with hijacking a vehicle and assault with intent to commit hijacking.

In addition to the felony charges, Moore — a registered sex offender — was also charged with being within 500 feet of a school building, campus or school bus. He remains in the Greene County Jail.

More: 'Get off my bus': Springfield bus driver yelled, distracted intruder as students ran away

"It's especially noteworthy that Olinda was back driving her bus early the next morning because of her dedication and her commitment to her work and because she wanted to assure her students that she was OK and that they would be OK as well," Hall said. "And I think that's a beautiful example of who she is as a person and as a professional driver."

Following a special presentation, Osborn took a photo with Superintendent Grenita Lathan and board president Danielle Kincaid. The rest of the board also jumped up with members taking turns shaking her hand, thanking her and taking a group photo.

Lathan noted Osborn, who was quiet during the meeting, did not like the public recognition.

In a news release posted Tuesday on the district's website, Osborn said "a million things" raced through her mind in that moment.

“I was torn. I wanted to run after my kids to make sure they all got to safety,” Osborn said in the release. “But, at the same time, I could not leave. I tried to hover (at the front) as much as I could so (the intruder) could not get in that seat. I just knew that I could not let him have the kids or this bus.”

Osborn also said: “I don’t think I’m a hero because I just did what I was supposed to.”

In the release, transportation director Keith Adams said: “When Bus 31 and its passengers were threatened, Olinda demonstrated courage and commitment by taking action to protect them. She is an excellent driver who takes her responsibilities seriously.”

At the end of the meeting, Kincaid said she was happy the board was able to honor Osborn, who was "very incredibly brave" and a "public hero."

Kincaid noted that Osborn was petite but still "able to take that situation under control and protect the students."

As part of the recognition, the district also thanked individuals who responded to the scene, supported students or helped in other ways:

• From transportation: Keith Adams, Jayme Balbaneda, Kim Brown, Sherri Dobbs, Jim Evans, Ronnie Floyd, Jerry Inman, Jessica Yesh-Sanchez, Adam VanBeachler, Kim Vaughn and Eric Williams;
• From Pershing Middle School: Courtney Bendure, Joe Cooper, Lauren Parrish, Amy Rader, Officer Mark Sears, Brooke Shivers, Tommy Wells and Renee Wise;
• From Field Elementary: Janell Bagwell and Amy Langevin;
• From counseling services: Jinny Datema, Alison Roffers and Haley Swatzell;
• From school police: Officer Rachel Boxberger, Officer Brian Cathey, Officer Kerri Dutcher, Officer Mike Eatherly, Chief Jim Farrell, Officer Shelley Martin and Lt. Rodney Williamson;
• From administration: Beth Engelhart and Gary Tew.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: 'I don't think I'm a hero': SPS bus driver who fended off intruder honored by school board