Lorie Aliano: Mighty Mom stops runaway bus

“I didn’t think twice,” is an expression used by many heroes. In the midst of an emergency or crisis, the adrenaline kicks in and they’re off and running—like Lorie Aliano, a mother of two who ran after an empty school bus that was rolling into a residential area. Luckily, Lorie happened to be at the right place at the right time and reacted quickly, sprinting to catch up, jumping on the bus and then summoning the strength to apply the brake. As it happened, the bus came to rest not far from where a group of children were standing. After the incident, Lorie was embraced by the school’s supervising principal who had been watching the drama unfold from his office. ‘You’re my hero!' he said. Of course, Lorie did not set out to be a hero. All she was thinking was ‘I gotta stop this bus somehow,’ and even though she never drove a bus before, she said “I put both my feet on the brakes, and it was really hard, but thank God it stopped before anyone got hurt.”Our hats are off to Lorie Aliano this week as an AmericanTowns Hero. She responded in a flash to protect lives. Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Share your story of averting disaster with quick thinking and action.