WASHINGTON — When a bus carrying several dozen Prince George’s County high school students caught on fire this weekend in New Jersey during a field trip, well-known TV host and physician Dr. Mehmet Oz was one of the passers-by who stopped to help.
About 50 students from Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, were on their way back from a weekend trip to New York City when the back tire on one of three buses blew and caught fire, eventually spreading to the bus, according to Prince George’s County Public Schools.
“The students and the staff hurried to get off of that bus and safely away from the bus,” said John White, spokesman with Prince George’s County Public Schools.
As the students and staff evacuated the bus, a car carrying the TV doctor happened to be driving by.
“A car pulled over to see what was going on, to make sure the students were safe, and when the person got out of the car, it was Dr. Oz,” White said.
White said after it was determined no one was hurt, Dr. Oz took pictures with students, making sure they were in good spirits.
The students, members of Northwestern’s Visual and Performing Arts program, were headed back to Hyattsville after a weekend of master classes with performers and musicians with the Broadway musical “Wicked.”
No one was hurt in the fire, but White said some students lost their personal belongings, and some instruments were damaged or destroyed.
Dr. Oz posted video of the bus fire to Facebook. According to White, that has led to an outpouring of support and offers from businesses and individuals to repair or replace instruments. White said the school is trying to determine what its insurance will cover.
