A 13-year-old boy named Dillon Reeves is being called a hero after jumping to the assistance of a school bus driver who passed out behind the wheel, taking over and stepping on the brake pedal while parking the bus, saving a packed busload of students in the process.

(Video Credit: WXYZ-TV Detroit | Channel 7)

The bus was taking Reeves home from Carter Middle School in Warren, Massachusetts along with 66 of his schoolmates when the unthinkable happened. The bus driver who was alert and fine seemed to suddenly seize and pass out after becoming light-headed Wednesday afternoon.

Video footage from the bus shows the driver passing out at about 50 seconds into the clip. The heroic boy immediately knew what had happened and jumped in front of the unconscious driver, grabbing the steering wheel while stepping on the brake and guiding the bus to a safe stop on Masonic Boulevard near Bunert Road. According to Superintendent Robert Livernois, the bus was beginning to veer into oncoming traffic when Reeves took the wheel.

“Someone call 911. Now!” Reeves shouted to other students aboard the bus as they started yelling and panicking in the background. No one was hurt in the incident thanks to the quick thinking and actions of the seventh-grader.

The driver had already told the transportation base that she was not feeling well and was about to pull over just before passing out. Reeves was five rows back but thankfully saw the driver pass out and then jumped into action.

“In my 35-plus years of education, this was an extraordinary act of courage and maturity on his part,” Livernois declared, according to Fox2. “He ran to the front of the bus, grabbed the steering wheel, and brought the bus to a stop in the middle of the road. And he had the wherewithal to push the brake down slowly – likely in anticipation that the bus was full of passengers.”

Livernois also reported that two good Samaritans assisted during the emergency. Once the bus came to a stop, a person walking past the bus came aboard and assisted Reeves with the driver. A woman driving behind the bus also stopped and helped the students off using the rear door.

According to Livernois, the driver is still hospitalized. They are awaiting drug test results to see what drugs, if anything, were involved in the incident.

“The actions of the student who helped stop the bus made all the difference today,” the district said in a press release.

During a press conference that was held on Thursday, Reeves looked uncomfortable at being recognized for his heroics and he didn’t speak. But his parents did and told the press how proud they were of their son.

Macomb County has a new hero! Seventh grader of Carter Middle School, Dillon Reeves of Warren, prevented a potential serious incident on his way home when his bus driver had a medical emergency and lost consciousness. Thank you Dillon! pic.twitter.com/w5WQzOG2EB

— Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office (@macombprosecute) April 28, 2023

 

The father got a call from a police officer after the incident and recounted, “My first response was, ‘What the heck did he do?’ And the officers said, ‘No, your son is a hero!”

“Very, very proud. This is overwhelming for all of us. This is national at this point,” the boy’s father, Steve Reeves, said according to the Daily Mail. “He is very attentive to his surroundings.”

“I asked him how did you know what to do,” his mom, Ireta, said. “He said that he watches her drive every day.”

“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 proudly said.

“Jesus had everything to do with the bravery and swift action Dillon displayed today. To Dillon, it’s just another day. He has no idea the amount of people who are so proud of him today,” the mother wrote on Facebook.

To honor and thank Reeves for his heroic response, locals decorated his family’s front yard with a sign that reads “hero.”

Reeves is expected to receive an award from the Warren Police Department for his bravery and quick action that potentially saved the lives of many students.

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