A Michigan 7th grade student is being hailed as a "hero" for safely bringing his school bus to a stop after his driver suffered a medical episode behind the wheel.
Dillon Reeves, 13, was seen on video springing into action Wednesday afternoon as he and other Carter Middle School students in Warren, Michigan, were heading home for the day.
"When you have an anchor like Dillon taking care of business on the bus, it really and truly was a good day for us," Warren Consolidated Schools Superintendent Robert Livernois said at a press conference this week.
"I am so proud of Dillon as he made all the difference in this crisis and represents the very best of our students in Warren Consolidated Schools," he added.
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Footage released by the district begins with the female driver waving her hat near her face in an attempt to cool herself off.
She then picks up a microphone and is heard telling a dispatcher "I'm feeling really dizzy, I might have to pull over... and I need someone to come take my kids."
About 15 seconds later, the driver could be seen experiencing a medical episode while the bus slowly starts to drift leftward.
Reeves is then seen rushing to the front of the bus, grabbing its steering wheel and pressing his foot down on the brake.
"Someone call 911 now, someone call 911," he says to the other students as screams could be heard. "I don't care! Someone call 911!"
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Once the bus came to a halt, a good Samaritan who was walking by came on board and helped Reeves with the driver while another woman driving behind the bus got out of her vehicle and helped the students exit from the rear, Livernois said, according to Fox2Detroit.
The station reports that the driver is now in stable condition.
At a press conference with the superintendent, Reeves’ father said he is "very proud" of his son, describing him as a "little hero."
"I asked him ‘Dillon did you know what to do? How did you know how to drive that bus?’" his mom said. "And he said ‘I watch her do it every day.’"
Livernois said the district is planning to honor Reeves with a commendation at a future meeting of its board.
"I'm going to present him with a resolution of appreciation for his heroic actions that go above and beyond what most people would do," Warren Mayor James Fouts also told Fox2 Detroit.
