Student acts after bus incident, brings classmates to safety

WARREN —  The quick-thinking actions of Carter Middle School seventh grade student Dillon Reeves continue to make headlines.

At the May 3 Warren Consolidated Schools Board of Education meeting, the school board and Superintendent Robert Livernois recognized Reeves with a certificate of recognition for the courage he showed during a busing incident that could have ended tragically.

When a WCS bus driver lost consciousness April 26 while in transit, traveling east on Masonic Boulevard near Bunert Road, Dillon stepped into action to bring the bus to a complete stop. The episode happened after school around 3 p.m. as the driver was transporting about 65 students home from school.

Several family members attended the school board meeting, including Reeves’ mother, Andrea Keller; his father, Steve Reeves; his stepmother, Ireta Reeves; and his sister, Raelyn. Keller and Steve Reeves briefly spoke to the media, reflecting on all the attention their son has received.

“I think this is so overwhelming for him, but at the same time, he’s handling it very professionally,” Keller said. “He’s an amazing child.”

“He’s settling in with the trauma,” Steve Reeves said. “His friend, the bus driver, is doing good. We spoke on the phone.”

During the meeting, a representative from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office presented Dillon with a proclamation signed by the governor. To show his gratitude, state Sen. Paul Wojno said a few words in honor of Dillon before giving him a state seal signed by the legislative delegation that represents the city of Warren.

“It was such an uplifting story, a heroic story. Your actions and what you did saved the lives of the students and the bus driver,” Wojno said. “We want to congratulate you. We’re so proud of you.”

 

He’s our little hero.
Because of media interest, Livernois held a press conference April 27 at the district’s administration building.

“Our fleet of buses handles about 40 square miles, and every morning and every day after school they make over 4,000 bus stops,” Livernois said. “As a result of that, our drivers are connected to what we call our home base by way of a two-way radio system. In this particular situation, the driver followed our protocol exactly and alerted the transportation base that she wasn’t feeling well. She was going to pull over to allow the transportation department to dispatch someone to come and provide relief to her.

“She didn’t make it to where she had planned to park the bus. As the bus was slowing down, she passed out (for unknown medical reasons). She couldn’t stop. As the bus was slowing down, it started to veer into what would have been (oncoming) traffic and this caught the attention of Dillon, who was about five rows in the back of the bus,” Livernois said. “He jumped up from his seat, threw his backpack down, ran to the front of the bus, grabbed the steering wheel and brought the bus to a stop in the middle of the road. He remained calm.”

Dillon did not speak at the press conference. However, Ireta Reeves and Steve Reeves addressed the media. When asked how Dillon knew what to do in the situation, Steve Reeves talked about the times they’ve driven together in the past.

“He’s been on my lap driving country roads, pulling in driveways since about 4 years old,” he said.

Dillon also has driven golf carts.

“He’s a good driver,” Steve Reeves said. “He’s very attentive to his surroundings. He’s our little hero.”

“We asked him, ‘Dillon, how did you know what to do? How did you know how to drive that bus?’ He said, ‘I watch her do it every day,’” Ireta Reeves said. “To do something like this fills my heart. I’m extremely proud of him.”

There was no damage to the bus or property nor were there any injuries.

During the press conference, school officials played a school video of the incident that was about 1 minute 25 seconds in length. On the video, the bus driver radios to dispatch and can be heard saying, “I’m feeling really dizzy, I’m going to have to pull over.”

The bus driver slowed down the bus, and a few seconds later passed out as the vehicle was still moving. The video shows Dillon stepping up to the front of the bus to bring it to a stop. He yells to the other students to call 911. As he is giving direction, students can be heard screaming in distress.

Dillon’s actions made headlines nationally and internationally. The story was broadcast on various news media outlets, including CNN, “The Today Show,” and the British Broadcasting Corporation in the U.K. Even the New Zealand Herald published a report.

After the bus stopped, two passersby — one man walking and a woman in a nearby car — helped the students safely get off the bus after it stopped. Warren police and firefighters were immediately called.

“They were there on the scene in three or four minutes to provide aid to the driver and to help coordinate with the students,” Livernois said.

The bus driver has since been released from the hospital. To respect her privacy, school officials are not releasing her name.

“She was found to be in compliance with all federal regulations for safety sensitive employees. Michigan law provides that the driver will not be allowed to drive for a period of six months following loss of consciousness,” Livernois said in a follow-up email.

Because the bus driver, who has three children, will be out of work for six months, a GoFundMe effort has been established to assist her with medical and living expenses. The address is www.gofundme.com/f/warren-consolidated-schools-bus-driver.