NORMANDY, Mo. — "It was so crazy. It's the type of stuff you see like on TV," Ayanna Whittier said.
However, for Whittier's family and neighbors, it was a real-life scare they'll never forget.
A rolling school bus was suddenly a ball of fire.
"I just couldn't believe it. My nerves are still shot," Whittier said.
"It was scary. I just remember it was real scary," said her neighbor, Candace Showers, who also shared a cellphone video of the crash with 5 On Your Side.
Around 6:30 Monday night, the Northeast Ambulance Fire Protection District got the emergency call. Neighbors immediately knew something was wrong when they saw a female bus driver coming down the 7700 block of Ellington Drive.
"The bus came around the corner after just dropping off some kids, and when it came down our street, several people said there were sparks flying and smoke coming from underneath the bus," Whittier said. "She got halfway up the street, and then, the bus caught fire. Everybody was waving their hands trying to get her attention and yelling, 'Your bus is on fire, pull over.'"
Neighbors said when the driver reached the top of the street, flames shot from the front of the bus. The driver was trapped inside.
"They said that she kept kicking the doors as it was rolling backwards. She couldn't open the door or put the bus in park," Whittier said.
The scared bus driver finally kicked open the door and jumped off the burning bus.
Whittier said the bus then went across her neighbor's front yard, hit her parked car and plowed into her home.
"My car stopped the impact from the bus totally hitting my entire house," she said. "I was at work at the time."
Her fiancé was standing in their driveway with their 8-year-old daughter as the fiery bus rolled towards them.
"They ran in the house to get my 22-year-old son because he was in his bedroom," Whittier said. "By the time they're coming back to come out, it hit."
The family ran out a side door. Flames from the fire-ravaged bus shot across their roof. The out-of-control bus destroyed their living room and three bedrooms.
It took more than 20 firefighters to put out the burning school bus.
"I took cellphone video of all the damaged rooms. My living room ceiling has a big hole, the ceiling is totally black and there's now lots of water damage," Whittier said.
Their home of four years and their belongings were suddenly gone, but they were still alive.
"I'm so glad that my family wasn't hurt," Whittier said. "Nobody else's family was hurt. The driver is okay and there were no kids on the bus. I just thank God. I'm confident we will find another home. I just want to thank our family members, friends and the community who have helped us so far and are still helping us. The Red Cross put us up in a hotel Monday and Tuesday nights."
Investigators said the bus driver was treated at a hospital for minor scrapes.
As of Tuesday, investigators said they didn't know why the Lift For Life Academy bus caught on fire.
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