‘Parent’s worst nightmare:’ Marana bus crash victim’s mother gives update on son’s recovery
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - It’s been just more than a week since a school bus collided with an SUV and overturned on I-10 in Marana.
The crash sent dozens of students and teachers from the Kingman Unified School District to the hospital. The driver of the SUV is behind bars.
While everyone survived the terrifying wreck, one passenger suffered an injury that will impact him for the rest of his life.
16-year-old Bobby Liberto endured a partial left hand amputation as a result of the crash.
“It was a parent’s worst nightmare,” said Bobby’s Mother Shelley Liberto.
The past week has been a whirlwind for Shelley Liberto. Not only is her son at Banner Children’s recovering from his injuries, but she is hospitalized herself after suffering complications from weight loss surgery.
She was kind enough to speak with 13 News from her hospital bed at Tucson Medical Center about the terror she faced when her son’s bus overturned.
Shelley said as soon as she got word of the wreck, she knew she needed to be by Bobby’s side.
“We had nothing to take with us or anything and we just got in the car and we drove from Henderson Nevada all the way to Tucson,” she said.
The entire drive to Tucson she was on pins and needles waiting to hear about Bobby’s condition. That’s when she got an update from her son’s best friend Robert Barnes.
“He said it was sheer panic on the bus and everything when it happened,” she explained.
In a phone call to Shelley, Barnes described the chaotic scene.
“When the bus flipped over and we slid Diego landed on top of Bobby directly. I landed on top of Diego,” Barnes explained.
Barnes said he looked down at Bobby and that’s when Bobby proclaimed, “My arm, it’s my arm!”
Barnes said, “I look and his arm is pinned under the bus.”
After first responders came to help Bobby out from under the bus he was rushed by ambulance to the hospital.
“His four fingers were severed and he had a partial thumb amputation,” Shelley explained.
Doctors are hoping to graph skin from his leg and elbow to try and save his thumb. He’s had five procedures so far. But despite the life-altering injury, Bobby has continued to have a positive attitude.
“His spirits are high and he’s doing great. I mean he’s amazing, he’s resilient,” Shelley said. “He’s really glad that everybody is alive and you know doing well.”
The bus was headed to a Future Business Leaders of America event in downtown Tucson. Shelley says Bobby was really looking forward to it.
She says his FBLA classmates back in Kingman have left an open seat for him when he’s healthy enough to return.
Shelley is thankful for all of the love and support that continues to keep Bobby motivated in his recovery.
She said it’s unclear when exactly Bobby will be released from the hospital. She said he will need months of treatment and physical therapy.
As Shelley faces her own health battles, all of these unexpected costs are adding up for the single Mother.
If you would like to help the family, they have a GoFundMe page set up where you can make a donation.
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