Dillon Reeves is still several years away from getting his driver’s license, but it turns out he’s already pretty handy behind the wheel. One afternoon in late April, Dillon was riding the bus to his Warren, Michigan home after school when he noticed the bus driver acting strange. The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, was suffering a medical emergency. She called dispatch to say she needed help, but didn’t have time to pull the vehicle over before losing consciousness.
Security footage from inside the bus shows the mom-of-three hang up the radio, then start to nod and twitch slightly. From the background, we hear the bus full of middle schoolers begin to panic as the bus veers to the side. That’s when 13-year-old Dillion, a 7th-grader at Carter Middle School, leaped to the front of the bus and slammed his foot onto the brake while deftly steering the bus to the side of the road.
As the students cry out in panic and fear, Dillon somehow remains calm.
“Someone call 911!” he shouts urgently.
The whole incident was over in minutes. Help arrived quickly and transported the driver to the hospital, where she is recovering. A GoFundMe has been set up to help her with expenses since she will be out of work with no pay for at least 6 months. Doctors aren’t certain what caused the accident, but they suspect it was a seizure.
Meanwhile, Dillon is being hailed a hero, and rightfully so!
“This was an extraordinary act of courage and maturity on his part,” said Robert D. Livernois, Superintendent of Warren Consolidated Schools. “He jumped up from his seat threw his backpack down, lands in front of the bus, grabbed the steering wheel and brought the bus to a stop in the middle of the road.”
Dillon’s heroic actions were celebrated at a school district assembly, and he and parents Ireta and Steve Reeves have been featured on both local and national news. His parents couldn’t be prouder of the way their son handled himself under pressure. Steve doesn’t know where Dillon learned to hit the brakes like that, but thinks the boy must have simply paid attention while he was a passenger in his parents’ cars.
Months later, the accolades are still pouring in! Dillon recently received a Resolution of Thanks from Warren Councilman Jonathan Lafferty.
“Dillon Reeves, it doesn’t ever get old!” Mom Ireta wrote on Facebook. “Dad and I are so proud of you for your quick response and actions on that school bus on April 26! Since that day you have carried such an amazing energy and outlook on life. Your ability to handle all of this attention at such a young age has been a pleasure for us to see. We hope that you will continue to be a positive influence and an Inspiration to those who see your story and cross your path through the future.”
Dillon handled that situation like a champ. Some people are just naturally good at handling stressful situations. He says he hopes to be a police officer when he grows up, and we think he’s already a natural first responder. Great job, Dillon!
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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