• Five students from Hancock Middle School in Mississippi took quick action to stop a runaway school bus Wednesday afternoon.
• The bus driver, Leah Taylor, suffered a medical emergency and passed out behind the wheel.
• Students grabbed the steering wheel, hit the brakes, called 911, and administered medication until help arrived.
• The driver credits the students with saving her life and is now feeling better.
• The students will be honored at a school pep rally on Friday.
HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. — Five Hancock Middle School students stopped a runaway school bus Wednesday afternoon after their driver passed out behind the wheel.
The students made split-second decisions that bus driver Leah Taylor said saved her life. “I had a medical emergency, and the students stepped up when I passed out driving the bus,” Taylor said.
Sixth-grader McKenzy Finch described the moment the driver suddenly fell over. “She kind of like fell over like flopped over and everyone started like standing up,” Finch said.
Sixth-grader Jackson Casnave grabbed the wheel as the bus began veering off to the side. “I saw that the bus was veering off to the side then I grabbed the wheel,” Casnave said.
Sixth-grader Darrius Clark hit the brakes when the bus started gaining speed. “And then, so she passed out again and then the bus started rolling forward, and I mean it started gaining speed so I didn’t know it had air brakes so when I clicked the brakes it about threw me out the windshield,” Clark said.
Eighth-grader Kayleigh Clark called 911, while eighth-grader Destiny Cornelius administered medication to the driver. “I saw her medication in her hand, and I saw her reaching for it, I knew that’s what she needed,” Cornelius said.
The students worked together until first responders arrived. Hancock Middle School Principal Dr. Melissa Saucier praised their composure. “You know, I’m not surprised to hear that our kids remained calm and acted swiftly. This emergency situation could have definitely been detrimental. And they handled it exactly how they should have. And we’re extremely proud of them,” Saucier said.
Taylor said she is back to normal and feeling better. “I’m very proud of them. I couldn’t ask for any of my other students than my students on my bus. I love every single one of them,” Taylor said. “I’m gonna think of how they saved my life.”
The students will be recognized for their actions at a school pep rally Friday.
In a moment of crisis, these five middle school students showed remarkable bravery and teamwork, turning a potentially tragic situation into a story of heroism. Their quick thinking not only stopped the bus but also helped save their driver’s life, earning them well-deserved recognition from their school and community.