A Bridgeport man whose 8-year-old son was on a school bus that collided with a sedan on Jan. 15 says his child is “deeply grateful” for the first responders who rushed to the rescue.

"My son said, oh, my God, dad- the bus crashed and the bus was smoking and this big police guy saved me. Thank you for him!"

The dad, who asked that his name not be used, said it was an emotional experience for everybody connected to the two-vehicle accident.

"When I saw the video of the bus hitting the car, my first thought was that God saved my son," the father said.

The accident at East Main and Arctic streets around 9 a.m. sent 13 people to the hospital, eight of them children -- but police say luckily, they were all discharged by the next day.

The father's attorney, Dennis Bradley, said the accident "should never have taken place".

"My first reaction is frustration when I see preventable accidents happening -- especially when they affect the lives of young people who are so innocent and so precious,” Bradley said.

Police say the cause of the collision remains under investigation.