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7th Grader Stops School Bus From Crashing After Driver Loses Consciousness

April 29, 2023

A quick-thinking 7th grader in Michigan is being hailed as a hero for preventing his school bus from crashing after the bus driver lost consciousness.

On April 26, the bus driver was taking students home from Carter Middle School when she began to experience "some dizziness". She attempted to pull over but didn't make it to where she planned to park and eventually passed out.

The bus began to veer into oncoming traffic.

That’s when Dillon Reeves jumped into action. Reeves, who was seated about 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... despite the justifiable panic," Warren Consolidated Schools Superintendent Robert D. Livernois said.

In a video released by authorities at the news conference (below), Reeves is seen taking control of the steering wheel and then yelling to the other passengers, "Someone call 911. Now!"

The Warren Police and Fire Departments responded quickly to the scene to tend to the driver and the students were loaded onto another bus to be safely taken home. No injuries to the children on the bus were reported.

The bus driver, whose name will not be released out of respect for her privacy, remains in the hospital and is still undergoing testing and observation.

Warren City Councilman Jonathan Lafferty is calling Reeves a hero.

"The City of Warren is very proud of our 7th Grade Hero Dillon Reeves! This young man jumped into action when his school bus driver experienced a medical emergency, bringing the bus to a stop and avoiding what could have been a very tragic accident. We are very proud of you for your heroic actions!" he said.

Reeves' parents called him "our little hero".

"Dillon, he’s really been a great guy this year," his mother Ireta said. "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."