An inside look: Carmel bus crash

CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) - Surveillance video gives an inside look at a bus crash May 23, when a driver lost control of his bus and crashed into a house in Carmel .

The video, exclusively obtained by 24-Hour News 8 through a public records request, shows the driver, Jack David Thomas - who was not wearing his seat belt - thrown from his seat during a turn from Gray Road onto Main Street in Carmel.

It's a vivid illustration of what one bus safety expert told 24-Hour News 8 after the crash.

“Even simple bumps or small fender-benders can cause the driver to fall out of the seat if they're not wearing the belt, down the stairwell, leaving no control of the vehicle,” saidJames Johnson of IMMI, which manufactures safety systems for school buses.

As Thomas tries in vain to hang onto the steering wheel, the bus crashes through a fence, trees and a play set before hitting a Carmel home's garage.

No children were on the bus at the time, and the driver was ticketed for not wearing his seat belt.

A representative with the Indiana State School Bus Driver's Association said every year all bus drivers go through a safety training course in which they are reminded of the state law that requires them to wear seat belts.

Carmel Clay Schools officials encouraged parents and students to let them know if they see a bus driver without a seat belt.