Teen saves bus full of students after driver dies

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Once the bus was safely parked, Holland continued to act. In an interview with Tamron Hall, he explained how he got all the kids off the bus, told them to call their parents, and had someone call 9-1-1. He then ran home to get his grandmother, who is a nurse.

“I just wanted to make sure everyone was okay,” he said.

Eventually, the driver regained consciousness and was able to call the bus company to have another driver take the children home.

That night at home, Holland's father didn't really believe his son when he revealed what had happened. But then his own mother confirmed the story, and it started making headlines.

“He was always a very fast person. That’s one of my things that I know he’s capable of, not on the school bus, but just in general, being able to help someone in need,” the father said. CNN. “But I’m proud of what he did.”

A local hero

On The Tamron Hall showHolland admitted he was now something of a school hero and people had thanked him for his quick thinking.

“The community could not be more proud of Acie,” school principal Anna Young wrote in an email to parents.

“The compassion and leadership we see him demonstrate every day reached a new level on his bus ride home yesterday. We are grateful that all of our Glen Hills students are safe and wish their driver a speedy recovery.

Others were so inspired by Holland's actions that they hailed him as a hero. On The Tamron Hall showDisney revealed that it was sending the teen and his entire family on a trip to Disney World because they felt so inspired by his actions.

“You are blessed,” Hall said, noting the words on Holland’s shirt during the interview. “We are so inspired by your courage… you are such a hero. »

Be an everyday hero

Holland's story is inspiring because it reminds us that anyone can be a hero. When faced with any type of challenge in life, taking deep breaths, remaining calm, and doing what you can to help or resolve a situation makes all the difference. In this case, it helped save a group of middle school students from a potentially tragic bus accident.

This story also reminds us that it's never too early to start teaching children the basics of safety and how to respond in an emergency. Talk with children, solicit their comments and thoughts, and teach them how to manage their fear and take action if they find themselves in a situation where they need courage.

Hopefully they'll never need to use this knowledge, but you also never know when their preparation might save the day.