Michigan 7th Grader Hailed Hero for Quick Action During Bus Emergency

A Michigan seventh grader is being hailed a hero for his quick thinking when his bus driver suffered a medical episode while behind the wheel. Dillon Reeves, a student at Lois E. Carter Middle School in Warren, took immediate action on a bus ride home from school. Warren Consolidated Schools Superintendent Robert D. Livernois called Reeves’ actions “an extraordinary act of courage and maturity.”

The bus driver experienced dizziness while driving and followed protocol by alerting ‘“home base” that she wasn’t feeling well and was going to pull over to allow the transportation department to dispatch someone to provide relief to her. But the driver lost consciousness before she could make it to where she planned to park and the bus started to veer into oncoming traffic.

Reeves, who was seated five rows back, jumped from his seat, threw his backpack down, ran to the front of the bus, grabbing the steering wheel. He pushed the brake to bring the bus to a stop in the middle of the road. In a video released by authorities, Reeves is seen taking control of the steering wheel, slowly pushing the brakes, and then yelling to the other panicked students: “Someone call 911. Now. Someone should call 911. I don’t care! Someone call 911!”

Warren police and fire departments responded to the scene within minutes and treated the bus driver. Livernois commended his actions saying “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.”

All of the students were loaded onto a different bus to make their way home. The driver, a 40-year-old woman, is “stable but with precautions” and was transported to a hospital for examination. Thanks to Reeves, no students suffered any injuries and there was no damage to the bus or any of the surrounding property.

Reeves’ parents, Steve and Ireta Reeves, praised their son and called him “our little hero.” Steve Reeves said “First off, we are very, very proud. I mean, this is overwhelming for all of us.”
His mother Ireta Reeves added “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.”