Bus Hero Saves Lives

Steve Hartman this morning has the story of a young hero. It was end of day for students at Carter Middle School in Warren, Michigan. But for those on bus 46 that April afternoon, it was the beginning of an unforgettable ordeal. All of a sudden, the brakes get slammed. We all were just terrified and shocked. And that's when I looked up and saw him. Seventh grader Dylan Reeves had grabbed the steering wheel. Soon after, police called the boy's father and stepmother, Steve and Iretta. Are you the parent of Dylan Reeves? And I said yes. And I go, what do you do? And he goes, no, this is a good phone call. Your son's a hero. He stopped the bus. Stop the bus? What? What? The officer went on to explain, and security footage shows, how Dylan noticed the driver was having a medical emergency. And immediately... sprang from his seat. I just knew what to do in that moment. The bus was swerving off the road. So Dylan took the wheel, hit the brake, and gained control of the situation, saving driver and students. A true hero, no doubt. But we still had a question. Why didn't anyone else notice what was happening? Well... Turns out, virtually every kid was on a device. I was on my phone playing a little game. We hear a lot about the consequences of too much screen time. But one thing I never considered until now is the loss of situational awareness. What's happening around them? And yet somehow, at least one kid on that bus instantly recognized what was happening. Any guesses as to why? I know why, because my son does not have a cell phone. And Steve says that's the lesson here. What else are you going to do when you don't have a phone? You're going to look at people, you're going to notice stuff, you're going to look out the window. It's a very powerful lesson. Maybe a change world kind of lesson, I don't know. At least a save the bus kind of lesson. And they say reason enough to hold off getting him a phone for another day. How do you feel about that? Whatever. My parents are old school. But for good reason. I guess. Sometimes even heroes have it hard.

All of a sudden, the brakes get slammed. We all were just terrified and shocked. And that's when I looked up and saw him.

Seventh grader Dylan Reeves had grabbed the steering wheel. Soon after, police called the boy's father and stepmother, Steve and Iretta. Are you the parent of Dylan Reeves?

And I said yes. And I go, what do you do? And he goes, no, this is a good phone call. Your son's a hero. He stopped the bus.

Stop the bus? What? What? The officer went on to explain, and security footage shows, how Dylan noticed the driver was having a medical emergency. And immediately...

sprang from his seat. I just knew what to do in that moment. The bus was swerving off the road.

So Dylan took the wheel, hit the brake, and gained control of the situation, saving driver and students. A true hero, no doubt. But we still had a question. Why didn't anyone else notice what was happening?

Well... Turns out, virtually every kid was on a device. I was on my phone playing a little game.

We hear a lot about the consequences of too much screen time. But one thing I never considered until now is the loss of situational awareness. What's happening around them?

And yet somehow, at least one kid on that bus instantly recognized what was happening. Any guesses as to why? I know why, because my son does not have a cell phone.

And Steve says that's the lesson here. What else are you going to do when you don't have a phone? You're going to look at people, you're going to notice stuff, you're going to look out the window.

It's a very powerful lesson. Maybe a change world kind of lesson, I don't know. At least a save the bus kind of lesson. And they say reason enough to hold off getting him a phone for another day.

How do you feel about that? Whatever. My parents are old school. But for good reason.

I guess. Sometimes even heroes have it hard.

Transcript for:Bus Hero Saves Lives

Transcript for:
Bus Hero Saves Lives