First responders honored for actions during I-70 bus crash
GAHANNA, Ohio (WCMH) -- Months after a fiery chain reaction crash took the lives of six people on I-70 in Licking County, first responders are being honored for their life-saving actions.
"They use words like heroes and stuff today and I don't feel like a hero; I just was there and did what I could do to help," Gahanna Division of Police Sgt. Justin Sheasby said.
Three students and three chaperones from Tuscarawas Valley Middle-High School were killed in the November crash. The three first responders who were first to the scene weren’t on patrol; they saw the smoke and jumped into action.
Now, Gahanna is awarding medals of honor for the first time to the three for their heroic actions.
"It's a mixed feeling," Gahanna Division of Police Sgt. Kyle Parrish said. "Like I said, such tragedy and our hearts go out to the families that had a loss or serious injury. But it's an honor that we are supported and appreciated by the department, the city, and the communities."
Parrish, Sheasby, and Officer Kaylea Pertz received Medals of Honor, among other awards from the state and city thanking them for their service.
"We saw smoke, we saw an explosion, which was horrific," Parrish said. "I mean, it was almost like a movie scene, and all three of us just jumped out and did what we could do, just hoping we're making a difference."
"We got out, we just did our jobs without thinking about it," Sheasby said.
In front of family, friends, colleagues and officials, the three first responders were honored for what Gahanna Mayor Laurie Jadwin called "extreme courage."
"There's no question that the three officers here tonight -- Officer Kaylea Pertz, Sgt. Kyle Parrish, Sgt. Justin Sheasby -- demonstrated extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty in November of last year," she said. "They would humbly tell you they were simply doing their jobs. I would tell you, for them, it's not a job, it's a mindset."
"It's overwhelming just hearing the repeated awards given to us," Sheasby said. "To me, I just felt overwhelmed."
The NTSB said the investigation into the crash is continuing and that it could be up to two years before a final report is issued.