A seventh grade Michigan student is being hailed as a hero after he sprung into action when his school bus driver lost consciousness.
Dillon Reeves, 13, was one of 66 students on a Warren school bus when the unnamed driver radioed to officials that she was feeling ill and needed to pull over April 26, Detroit News reported. Moments later however, the driver began to convulse, before letting go of the steering wheel and slumping in her seat, as revealed in video of the incident.
“Someone call 911! Now!”
A Michigan 7th grader is being commended for jumping into action after a school bus driver suffered a medical emergency. https://t.co/KcmFixI7cJ pic.twitter.com/13r9aLQe0Y
— ABC News (@ABC) April 28, 2023
When students on the bus realized their driver was no longer conscious, panic ensued. Students could be heard screaming in terror as Reeves quickly made his way to the front of the bus. Calmly taking hold of the steering wheel, Reeves began pumping the brakes while urging, “Someone call 911.” (RELATED: ‘I’ve Got A Serious Situation Here’: Passenger With ‘No Idea’ How To Fly Lands Plane After Pilot Falls Ill)
“In my 35-plus years of education, this was an extraordinary act of courage and maturity,” Superintendent Robert Livernois said of Reeves, according to Detroit News.
“He had the wherewithal to push it slowly, likely in anticipation that the bus was full of passengers. So despite the justifiable panic on the bus, you could imagine this is probably a 66-passenger bus and it was full at the time,” Livernois continued, according to CNN.
Warren police and fire departments responded to the scene within minutes, treating the 40-year-old unnamed bus driver for an unspecified medical emergency. The driver was transported to a local hospital where she is still undergoing treatment, the outlet reported. The students were transferred to another bus and taken home.
Dillon’s parents are brimming with pride over their “little hero.”
“First off, we are very, very proud. I mean, this is overwhelming for all of us,” Steve Reeves stated, according to CNN.
“Dillon, he’s really been a great guy this year. He has come a long way. He has surprised us with great grades and with his performances at schools with friends, with peers. And to do something like this just fills my heart, makes my heart skip a beat,” Ireta Reeves added.