A Rapid bus driver responded quickly to a three-car accident on Friday night.

At 6:20 p.m., a driver on Lake Michigan Drive collided with a car going westbound. After the first collision, the driver lost control of the car, collided with a second vehicle and almost hit the bus before coming to a stop on the curb. The cause of the first accident was unclear.

Driver Jim Berkenpas, a retired firefighter, called 9-1-1. He went to the cars involved in the accident to assess injuries and help uninjured people out of their vehicles.

“I wanted to make sure there were no head injuries and to make sure that if there were, those people weren’t moved before the ambulances arrived,” Berkenpas said.

Less than 15 passengers were on the bus at the time of the accident.

“It puts your life in perspective as far as what’s really important,” said Stephanie Nies, a Grand Valley State University junior who witnessed the accident from her seat. “It emphasizes the point of why GV has such a good bus system – so stuff like this doesn’t happen.”

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