13-Year-Old Hero Steers School Bus Full of Students to Safety After Driver Passes Out at the Wheel (VIDEO)
What started out as an ordinary bus ride home quickly turned into a terrifying ordeal for 60 kids on board when the school driver became lightheaded and lost consciousness. Thankfully, a quick-thinking and heroic 13-year-old took the wheel and saved the day.What Happened When a School Bus Driver Suffered a Medical Emergency Behind the WheelWarren Consolidated Schools/YouTubeThe driver of the bus, who wishes to remain anonymous, was feeling dizzy and was in the midst of radioing for help when she suddenly lost consciousness.As the bus started to veer into oncoming traffic, Dillon Reeves, a 7th grader at Lois E. Carter Middle School in Warren, Michigan, immediately sprang into action.An onboard video camera captured the frightening incident and the footage was later shared at a press conference. The clip shows the driver contacting dispatch to let them know that she wasn't feeling well and needed to pull over. As she was slowing down, she passed out.Reeves, who was sitting five rows back, "jumped up from his seat, threw his backpack down, ran to the front of the bus, grabbed the steering wheel, and brought the bus to a stop in the middle of the road," the school's superintendent Dr. Robert D. Livernois told reporters.Amazingly, while everyone around him was panicking and screaming, our pint-sized hero with the calm of a zen master, somehow managed to simultaneously steer the bus AND reach his foot over to press the brakes. He then yelled for someone to call 9-1-1."In my 35-plus years of education, this was an extraordinary act of courage and maturity on his part," Livernois said. "The actions of the student who helped stop the bus made all the difference today, and I could not be prouder of his efforts."What Happened After the 7th Grader Stopped the BusOnce the middle schooler got the bus to a complete stop, two witnesses — a guy who happened to be walking down the street and a woman driving behind the bus — stepped in to help.A letter posted to Warren Consolidated Schools' Facebook page, revealed that the police and fire crews arrived quickly on the scene. "The Warren Police and Fire Departments responded very quickly, tended to the driver, and the students were safely loaded onto a different bus to make their way home."No injuries to the children on the bus were reported.First responders transported the 40-year-old driver to the hospital. Doctors released her two days later. Livernois stated that the school board hired her in July 2022. She had no previous history of fainting and had passed a mandatory medical exam at the time of hiring.According to a GoFundMe page, the driver is a mother to three young children, aged 8, 7, and 4. Doctors believe she may have suffered a seizure. Under Michigan law, it is illegal for her to operate a vehicle for a minimum of six months. Any money raised will go toward her medical bills, mortgage, and living expenses until she can return to work. So far, $6K of the 20K goal has been raised.The 7th Grader on Being a Hero & Saving the Day Reeves spoke out about his courageous rescue in an interview with Fox2 News. He shared that at the time, he wasn't trying to be a hero, he was just trying to do what was right."I was just thinking just to do the right thing. I just got up and just did what's right."- Dillon ReevesSpoken like a true hero. And while he may not think of himself as a superhero, the rest of the world sure does. The story has gone viral. The family is receiving thousands of messages from people as far away as Berlin, Germany.Reeves also received a mayoral proclamation from the mayor of Warren, Jim Fouts, for his "outstanding leadership skills, alertness and bravery during a crisis." He will also be receiving a commendation from the school board sometime in the near future.Dillon Reeves may only be in the seventh grade, but he is living proof that courage knows no age. And that even in the face of overwhelming adversity, we all have the power to do what's right.
