Derek Sandberg, an independent contractor who was driving tourists to the Everglades, is now considered a hero after successfully evacuating multiple people from a burning bus.
The driver who was able to evacuate and save dozens of tourists from a bus that went up in flames in the middle of Interstate 595 in Broward last week is speaking out for the first time.
Derek Sanberg, an independent contractor who was driving the 48 tourists to the Florida Everglades, is being called a hero after successfully evacuating multiple people from the burning bus Friday afternoon.
"All of a sudden, as I was getting to that 595 part, Nob Hill area... I noticed the smell," said Sanberg. "And as I turned to the right, another vehicle came by and he's like, pointing down, ‘Smoke, smoke, pull over.'"
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The fire broke out in the westbound lanes of the highway between Nob Hill Road and Pine Island Road.
"At first, I was just like, okay, maybe it's not as serious. It's just a flat tire or some exhaust; it's just an engine or whatever, but it just grew all of a sudden. It happened just like that," said Sanberg. "And I just thank God, really, man, my faith in God."
Sanberg said everything happened very quickly.
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"As I was pulling, I'm seeing more smoke and more smoke. Then I saw some flames immediately," said Sanberg. "As soon as I pulled off, I stop, engine cut, brakes cut, everything. I immediately pressed the buttons, doors open and I said, 'Everybody out, everybody out.'"
Cellphone video from witnesses showed the moments after the fire broke out, with the bus completely engulfed in flames and thick black smoke rising into the air.
“Two minutes guys, two minutes it took," said Sanberg. "I used to work as a public school, yellow bus school driver. They train you for these evacuations and they're always saying two minutes. That's all it takes for that thing to be in flames."
An incident report released by the Florida Highway Patrol said the Davie Fire Department chief determined the fire originated in the engine, located in the rear of the bus, and that a mechanical issue was the cause of the fire.
Aerial footage from Chopper 6 showed all westbound lanes closed as Davie Fire Rescue crews doused the bus with water. The lanes later reopened, but not before the closure caused major delays.
The double-decker bus appeared to have been completely destroyed by the fire. The passengers could be seen standing on the side of the highway nearby.
"They were so awesome, so peaceful, so calm, so helpful," said Sanberg when asked about the tourists. "They were awesome as we gathered; as I tried to gather the others, I was trying to figure out where the others were, and I was reassured that nobody was left in the bus."
"I love what I do, and it's good to, you know, to be able to act upon what you're trained for and what you, you know, kind of like been doing for so many years and just be able to save lives and be able to, you know, bring people back to their families," said Sanberg. "It really just seemed like the stars aligned for everyone to make it out."
