Boy grabs steering wheel of school bus after driver passes out

Dillon Reeves has been hailed as a hero after his quick-thinking brought the bus to a safe stop on a busy road.

Young boy in Michigan brings school bus to a stop after driver passes out at the wheel — Hero: Dillon Reeves jumped into action after the driver fell unwell and passed out. iStock

PA Media

29th Apr 2023

A young boy in Michigan grabbed the steering wheel of a school bus and hit the brakes, bringing the vehicle to a safe stop on a busy road after the driver had passed out, authorities said.

“Someone call 911. Now!” Dillon Reeves shouted to dozens of other children on the bus in the Detroit area.

Dillon was hailed a hero after stopping the bus as it veered towards oncoming traffic.

“In my 35-plus years of education, this was an extraordinary act of courage and maturity on his part,” said Robert Livernois, superintendent of Warren Consolidated Schools.

The incident was recorded on a video camera just above the driver.

The video shows the driver fanning herself with a baseball cap and informing the transportation office that she needs to pull over.

Seconds later, Dillon jumped into action, hitting the brake pedal and clutching the steering wheel.

“I don’t know that it could have gone any better,” Mr Livernois said, noting that adults helped children out of the back door. “When you have an anchor like Dillon taking care of business on the bus, it really and truly was a good day for us.”

Dillon declined to speak to reporters but his parents, Steve and Ireta Reeves, were proud.

“We’ve got a little hero,” Dillon’s father said. “He’s been on my lap driving country roads, pulling into driveways since about four years old… He’s a good driver.”