The 13-year-old boy who stopped a runaway bus after the driver fainted
2 min read
A video recorded inside the bus shows the moment the boy took control of the bus
- author, Chloe Kim
- roll, BBC News in London
Sixty-six Michigan high school students are safe thanks to the quick reaction of a 13-year-old who steered the school bus to safety after the driver collapsed, officials said.
Dillon Reeves, of Carter Middle School in Warren, got up from his seat, jumped about five rows, and drove the bus.
A video shows the bus driver telling staff that she is not feeling well.
The city hails the seventh grader as a hero.
Warren Council member Jonathan Lafferty wrote in a Facebook post: “We are so proud of you for your heroic actions!”
The students were on their way home from Carter Middle School on Wednesday (26/4) when the bus driver “got dizzy and passed out,” according to Principal Robert Levernois.
A video of the incident, released on Thursday (27/4), showed official radio messages from the bus driver saying she was unwell and had to stop.
Soon after, the driver loses control of the steering wheel and limps, while the students scream and the bus begins to pull off the track.
Livernois said Dillon saw “the driver in distress” and “put himself in charge of the bus and helped it stop”.
credit, Reeves family
Dillon’s parents are extremely proud that the boy has been hailed as the hero of the town.
After the bus was stopped, Dillon yelled out for who to call 911 “now.”
The cause of the bus driver’s illness is still unknown. She has no history of other accidents.
When the police called Dillon’s home, his father, Steve Reeves, asked “What the hell did he do?”
“No, your son is a hero,” local media quoted the police officers as saying.
The city council member, about 30 minutes north of Detroit, praised Dillon for “stopping the bus and preventing what could have been a very tragic accident.”
After the incident, the boy’s proud stepmother, Iretta Reeves, wrote on Facebook: “He’s home and everyone is fine thanks to Dillon!!!”
“For Dillon, it was just another day,” she continued. “He has no idea how many people are proud of him today.
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