REMINDERVILLE, Ohio — It's hard to say how you'll react in any given situation, but a fifth grader in Reminderville can say he's already been tested.
He's being hailed a hero for stopping a school bus Thursday afternoon in The Woods of Willowbrook subdivision after his bus driver could no longer control it.
A school bus full of kids from George Dodge Elementary jumped a curb and narrowly missed crashing into a light pole after the bus driver suffered a medical emergency while behind the wheel and passed out.
“The bus came to a halt right here. It barely tapped up against the free library. You can see the tire marks there,” said resident Dan Chudy.
Chudy was walking the neighborhood when he saw and heard all the commotion and began recording.
Those on the bus say things could have been a lot worse if it hadn’t been for fifth grader Sujaan Singh jumping into action.
The student tells News 5 he was talking with friends when he realized his bus driver was no longer conscious.
“So I moved his leg off the gas pedal, hit the brake. I tried to wake him up. He woke up,” said Sujaan.
“Everybody was like, 'Ahh!,' screaming…and Sujaan was all calm. He told everybody to calm down. He told everybody to get off the bus,” says Sujaan’s friend, Dennis Dortch, who was also on the bus.
Dennis is quick to call Sujaan a hero-- but Sujaan is more than modest about his actions, telling Dennis, “You did a very good job of taking everybody outside the bus. I give literally 75% credit to you.”
Sujaan’s mom, Tejinder Kaur, told News 5, “At first I didn’t believe him. Like maybe he...he doesn't know anything about gas pedal or the brake pedals, but he did it. I’m very proud of him.”
Once stopped the kids evacuated from the school bus, another student called 911.
The school’s principal, is also grateful for Sujaan’s actions.
“We start to really realize how remarkable our students can be in a difficult situation," Principal Reggie Holland said. "I think he’s really brave.”
Sujaan and some of the other kids are still very shaken about the incident and were understandably apprehensive about getting back on the school bus today Friday.
Twinsburg school district officials say the bus driver is at home getting rest and is expected to return to work next week.
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