NEWYou can now listen to articles!
A group of Mississippi middle school students jumped into action this week to stop a school bus after the driver lost consciousness on a highway, preventing a potential crash.
About 40 students from Hancock Middle School were on board when their driver, Leah Taylor, 46, suffered an asthma attack shortly after leaving campus, according to The Associated Press.
Taylor attempted to grab her medication but passed out before she could reach it.
Without hesitation, the students sprang into action to keep the bus from crashing.
WATCH: POLICE OFFICER, OFF-DUTY FIREFIGHTER SAVE WOMAN FROM BURNING VEHICLE: ‘RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME’
Mississippi middle school students helped stop a school bus after the driver lost consciousness, preventing a crash. (WLOX via AP)
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.
TEEN KILLED AFTER PROTECTING FRIENDS IN ‘SENSELESS’ SHOOTOUT AS LOCALS RAISE ALARM OVER RISING CRIME IN BRONX
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.
ARIZONA DEPUTIES SAVE CHOKING 2-WEEK-OLD BABY IN ROADSIDE RESCUE AFTER PARENTS’ EMERGENCY CALL
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.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE APP
“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.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
