CDL Life News reports on a dauntless seventh-grade student in LaGrange, Texas, who was able to drive his school bus to safety when the driver had a medical emergency and became unable to steer correctly.
Karson Vega doesn’t usually ride the school bus, but it was a good thing he did on Feb. 1. While on the afternoon drop-off route, students aboard noticed that the driver appeared disoriented, kept driving in circles and nearly drove into ditches. The 13-year-old decided to really step up when the bus kept swerving and almost hit other cars.
High school sophomore Kyler Buzek watched the five younger students aboard at the back of the bus and called 911 on his cellphone. Meanwhile, the driver was still in his seat, so Vega sat on his lap and steered the bus.
Near the Colorado River bridge, Vega was able to stop the school bus, put it in park and even extend the stop arm. Police arrived shortly thereafter and the students were taken home by an empty bus returning from its route.
Vega’s mother revealed that her son knew what to do because he likes learning about automobiles and has practiced driving around his family’s property.
The driver was taken to a hospital and released later that night. Transportation Director Neal Miller confirmed that the driver would have to be medically cleared before he could drive a school bus again.
“It could have been a tragedy if not for the quick thinking of the students who handled the situation appropriately,” said Superintendent Bill Wagner.
