"Someone call 911. Now!" Reeves shouted, urging the other middle-school kids on the bus to take action.
Dillon Reeves was on his way home from Carter Middle School in Warren, Michigan, a city about 20 miles north of Detroit, along with dozens of other students aboard the school bus. The driver suffered a medical emergency, became lightheaded, and lost consciousness while driving along Masonic Boulevard near Bunert Road. The incident was caught on video where the driver called for assistance before passing out. She was seen fanning herself with a baseball cap and telling the transportation office that she needs to pull over.
A Michigan seventh grader is being commended for jumping into action after a bus driver "became lightheaded and lost consciousness" while driving, the school district's superintendent says. https://t.co/pJF9h6OqA9
— ABC News (@ABC) April 28, 2023
As soon as she passed out, the Michigan seventh grader quickly jumped in when he saw that the driver was "in distress, stepped to the front of the bus and helped bring it to a stop without incident," as per the statement shared on Facebook by Robert D. Livernois, Warren Consolidated School District's Superintendent. The young teen could be seen putting his foot on the brake and clutching the steering wheel before yelling to his fellow schoolmates to call 911. "Someone call 911. Now!" Reeves shouted, urging the other middle-school kids on the bus to take action.
Soon after, the Warren Police and Fire Departments reached their quickly, and took care of the driver, while the students were safely loaded onto a different bus to make their way home. The actions of the student who helped stop the bus made all the difference today, and I could not be prouder of his efforts," the statement read.
The young boy is now being hailed as a hero for stopping the bus in the nick of time as it was veering toward oncoming traffic. "In my 35-plus years of education, this was an extraordinary act of courage and maturity on his part," Livernois told ABC 13. Livernois is incredibly grateful that Reeves was quick to jump into action saving so many lives in the process. "I don't know that it could have gone any better," Livernois said, noting that adults helped kids out the back door. "When you have an anchor like Dillon taking care of business on the bus, it really and truly was a good day for us."
He not only made his school and community proud but also his parents, Steve and Ireta Reeves. While the young boy declined to speak to reporters on Thursday, his parents beamed with pride. "We've got a little hero," his dad said. "He's been on my lap driving country roads, pulling into driveways since about 4 years old. ... He's a good driver."
References:
https://abc13.com/school-bus-rescue-boy-stops-driver-suffers-medical-emergency-ill/13192018/
Cover Image Source: YouTube | WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel 7
