Minnesota Man Saves Students on Runaway School Bus, Credits ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ for Calm Response
A Saint Paul man jumped onto a moving school bus to stop it during a driver's medical emergency. He credits his calm reaction to watching Grey's Anatomy.
POLICY WIRE — Saint Paul, Minnesota — A local man is being hailed for his quick intervention after he sprinted from a sidewalk to board a runaway school bus on Monday afternoon, successfully bringing the vehicle to a halt.
The rescuer, identified as Ahmed, noticed the bus was in distress because its lights were flashing while the vehicle was still in motion, rather than during a standard stop. Security footage captured the moment he leaped onto the moving bus to assist the driver, who was suffering from a medical emergency.
Describing his actions, Ahmed noted, I saw the bus driver obviously having a medical emergency. All I looked at was the gear control and I was trying to put it into park.
He recounted the tense moments as the bus began to roll backward. I started hearing beeps and we were going backwards. And then I said, ‘That is not right,’ and I threw it into neutral and pulled the [parking] brake, Ahmed said.
Inside the vehicle, 19 students were present. Ahmed observed that the children were frightened and preparing to contact authorities. Fortunately, Saint Paul Public Schools confirmed that none of the 19 students sustained injuries during the incident.
Regarding the driver’s condition, Ahmed stated, After everything, he was coming to, but he’s still kind of out of it. And so I just let him be. Even when the police came, he was already done having his medical emergency. He was getting a little bit better, but I just did not want to rush and start asking him questions.
Despite having no formal medical training, Ahmed attributed his ability to remain composed to the television drama Grey’s Anatomy. He explained, In ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ you never see doctors panic. I know it is all acting and stuff, so I just knew to be calm and just think everything through.
The school district dispatched a second bus to transport the students to their destination. When asked about his heroic efforts, Ahmed remained humble, stating, “I feel like any person in my situation would have done the same thing.”
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
