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Passerby Sits With Charter Bus Crash Victim In His Last Moments

BALTIMORE CO., Md. (WJZ) -- Authorities have identified the 19-year-old killed in a crash involving a charter bus in Baltimore County Wednesday morning.

The crash involved a charter bus and an Infiniti, and it happened just after 10:45 a.m., at Brick Store Rd. and Falls Rd.

The 19-year-old driver of the Infiniti, identified as Joel William Drawbaugh, was pronounced dead following the crash.

Drawbaugh was a 2017 graduate of Hereford High School.

Police say three charter buses were headed to a retreat, and the third bus had bottomed out and gotten stuck, blocking both lanes of Falls Rd.

Moments later, the Infiniti slammed into the back side, near the engine.

One of the first to drive up on the scene, was Nick Collins, on his way to work, who said he knew he had to help.

"It was just a bunch of metal and all that I could do is just talk to the person through the side where he was, and I just kept going back and forth and I was saying things that I feel that I would want to hear if I was in that situation,"  Collins said.
Collins said he did not want to risk making the situation worse, so he avoided touching or moving anything.
He said he just reassured Joel as they waited for first responders.
"From what I saw, I will never forget but seeing him breathe a little heavier knowing that my voice was there, and my words of absolute comfort, that I just kept repeating the same things, those three things: help is on the way, you're going to be ok, and we'll get you out of here." Collins said.
Of the more than 43 people on the bus, mostly teenagers from a Catholic school in Laurel, 8 were hospitalized with minor injuries.
It was 40 minutes before firefighters were able to saw Joel out of his car.
He died at the scene.
Collins got a phone call from Joel's family Wednesday night, thanking him.
They said they wanted to give the last person to talk to Joel a hug, so they will be making time to meet each other.

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