By Charlie Herbert
The is the remarkable moment a teenager averted disaster by stopping a bus with dozens of his classmates on when the driver fell unconscious at the wheel.
Dillon Reeves, 13, was one of 67 students travelling home on a school bus from Carter Middle School in Warren, Massachusetts.
Camera footage from the bus shows the driver saying that she is going to pull over because she feels light-headed. But before she can do so, she passes out at the wheel.
A quick-thinking Dillon is then seen leaping into action, rushing to the wheel and finding the brake pedal to bring the vehicle to a stop, whilst his classmates can be heard screaming.
He can then be heard asking someone on the bus to call 911.
Thanks to his brave efforts, no one was hurt in the incident, whilst the driver was taken to hospital and remains under care there.
Dillon has been praised for his quick-thinking, with Warren Consolidated School holding a press conference to congratulate him.
Superintendent Robert Livernois said: “He stood up, he assessed the situation and saw that the driver had passed out. This was an extraordinary act of courage.
“He jumped up from his seat, threw his backpack down, ran to the front and grabbed the wheel and brought the bus to a stop.”
The humble teen decided to stand aside at the press conference, but his parents spoke on his behalf and voiced their pride in their son.
His dad Steve Reeves said: “Very, very proud. This is overwhelming for all of us. This is national at this point.
“He is very attentive to his surroundings.”
BREAKING: New video of Dillon Reeves, the heroic 7th grader who helped stop a school bus during a medical emergency on Wednesday, involving the bus driver in Warren Consolidated School District. @wxyzdetroit @abcnews #6PM pic.twitter.com/Ag36AQUiOL
— Simon Shaykhet WXYZ (@simonshaykhet) April 27, 2023
Since the footage went viral and made headlines across the US, local officials have decorated the front garden of the Reeves family home with a sign that reads ‘Hero’.
Mother Ireta Reeves also said of her son: “He’s really a great guy this year. He’s come a long way. Great grades, experiences at school with friends.
“To do something like this fills my heart and makes my heart skip a beat.”
She revealed that, when she had asked her son how he knew what to do to make the bus stop, he told her: “I watched her [the driver] do it everyday.”
