According to CBS, many eighth students who traveled home with Dillion on April 26 were too distracted by their phones to notice when their driver started to lose consciousness.
One kid said, “I had my AirPods in,” referring to popular wireless headphones. Another child stated, “I was looking at my phone.” Another kid said, “I was on my phone playing a little game.”
In a viral bus surveillance video, Dillon runs to the wheel after seeing the driver pass out from a medical issue. Dillon braked, steered the bus away from traffic, and stopped as kids shouted from the rear.
“Dial 911 immediately!” Dillon said as the bus slowed and stopped.
The driver was hospitalized, and the children were carried home on another bus. Dillon later told CBS, “I just knew what to do at that moment.” Bus veered dangerously off-road.
After hearing about Dillon’s actions on the runaway bus, his online and real community praised him.
The district’s superintendent, Robert D. Livernois, took to Facebook to express his gratitude for a youngster who had helped stop a bus.
Dillon’s parents said they delayed buying him a phone because of his bravery. Dillon shrugged his head and said, “Whatever” when CBS asked him if he agreed with his parents’ decision to defer giving him a phone. Traditionalists, my parents.
