In a remarkable display of courage, a group of middle school students from Mississippi swiftly intervened to avert disaster when their school bus driver lost consciousness on a highway. Their quick thinking prevented what could have been a serious accident.
On board the bus were about 40 students from Hancock Middle School when the driver, 46-year-old Leah Taylor, experienced an asthma attack shortly after departing from the school premises, as reported by The Associated Press.
Taylor attempted to reach for her asthma medication but fainted before she could administer it.
Reacting promptly, the students took decisive action to ensure the bus remained on course, preventing a potential crash.
Among the students, 12-year-old sixth-grader Jackson Casnave, seated just behind the driver, noticed the vehicle beginning to veer off path. He quickly moved to seize the steering wheel and called out for assistance.
Sixth grader Jackson Casnave, 12, who was sitting behind the driver, noticed the bus begin to swerve. He rushed forward to grab the wheel and called for help.
“I didn’t have time to process my emotions,” Casnave said. “I just wanted to make sure that nobody got hurt.”
Darrius Clark, who is also 12, then hit the brakes, and the students steered the bus to a median and brought it to a stop.
Students sprang into action to stop a school bus after the driver passed out, bringing the vehicle to a safe stop. (WLOX via AP)
Clark’s sister, Kayleigh, 13, called 911, later saying she struggled to hear the operator over the screams from classmates.
“I was scared, but also I had to help,” Kayleigh said.
Eighth grader Destiny Cornelius, 15, saw the driver holding a nebulizer and helped administer the medication, while 13-year-old McKenzy Finch assisted.
Students at Hancock Middle School in Mississippi helped stop a school bus after the driver lost consciousness, preventing a crash. (Google Maps)
Finch also noticed the driver’s phone ringing and alerted the district’s transportation team about what had happened.
Taylor, who has since made a full recovery, praised the students for their actions.
“I’m grateful for my students,” Taylor said. “They’re the ones that saved my life and everybody else’s on that bus.”
The students were honored at a school pep rally Friday and are set to receive a celebratory lunch next week, The AP reported.
“What they did took courage,” the school’s principal, Dr. Melissa Saucier, said. “They didn’t wait for somebody to step in, they stepped up themselves, and that says a lot about their character.”
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