13-Year-Old Takes Charge & Saves Lives After School Bus Driver Passes Out At The Wheel

May 03, 2023

A 13-year-old boy from Michigan was commended for his heroic actions after he took charge and avoided a tragic situation when the school bus driver passed out at the wheel. Carter Middle School student Dillon Reeves managed to steer the bus to safety and ensured that 66 kids could still go home to their families.

On April 26, 2023, the bus driver was taking the children home after school when she started feeling lightheaded. A video of the incident, uploaded on YouTube on April 28, showed the driver calling on the radio to advise that she was not well. 

Shortly after notifying her co-workers, the bus driver let go of her grip on the steering wheel and appeared to have passed out. The screams of the children could be heard on the video as the bus started to veer off the road. That's when Dillon took the wheel and immediately brought the vehicle to a stop. The 13-year-old then instructed the other students to phone 9-1-1. 

In a statement addressed to the Warren Consolidated Schools Community, Superintendent Robert D. Livernois confirmed the incident. He assured the community that the Warren Police and Fire Departments also responded quickly and took care of the driver, who was taken to the hospital.

Her exact condition, age and identity have not been released to the press, but school officials are investigating the incident. All of the kids she was supposed to drive home were loaded onto another bus and were safely reunited with their parents. 

Livernois also acknowledged that the teenager's quick thinking "made all the difference," and he was proud of Dillon's efforts. Warren Councilman Jonathan Lafferty also hailed Dillon for preventing a tragic accident. Without his action, the bus could have hit a car or a property, which could have fatal outcomes. 

In an interview with Fox 2 Detroit, Dillion said that the bus was close to hitting another car when he took the steering wheel and stopped its course. 

"I just know that It would have just been like a complete disaster," he said. "I was more worried about the rest of the students on the bus, especially the bus driver." 

Dillon’s dad said during a news conference that his son had some practice sitting on his lap and pulling cars on the driveway since he was 4 years old. He is also skilled and attentive when it comes to driving golf carts. 

The incident was a few blocks from the Reeves' home, where Dillon's parents, Steve and Ireta Marie, heard the sirens from the fire trucks and police cars going off. Steve then got a call from the cops and was initially thinking that his son got into trouble. Instead, the officers told the boy's father that he's got a hero for a son. 

According to his parents, Dillon is usually shy around people and he had a hard time processing all these praises for what he did. 

"He has no idea the amount of people who are so proud of him," the teenage hero’s mother said. 

A week after the incident, Dillon visited the commissioner of the City of Warren Police Department at his office. Ireta also revealed that the teenager was able to speak with the bus driver, who has been discharged from the hospital. 

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the bus driver as she will not be able to return to work for at least six months, based on Michigan Laws. She is also a mom to three kids who are between the ages of 4 and 8. 

It’s amazing how the teenager took control of the situation! He has made a lot of people proud. What do you think of Dillon Reeves' quick thinking? Pass this story along to parents or grandparents who will be thrilled to learn of what this young hero did!